Help with Speaker Setup

Hello All

I am a newbie to Hifi, having just ordered my first set of speakers - Focal Kanta n2s along with Naim Supernait 3 amp and Naim ND5XS2 streamer. These are likely to be delivered in a month or so from now.
I must point out that I currently live in a temporary set up. The temporary nature of the residence is likely to continue in the foreseeable future whether in the current place or another.

I have done a basic mapping of the living area, which is quite large...divided into 3 main sections open to each other, measuring about 55 feet in cumulative length. I need to start working on my options of placing the equipment and look forward to some input. Based on my limited reading/viewing, I have come up with a proposed plan ( with the "S"s denoting the speakers), which may well be rubbish, but I wanted to get started with some thoughts. I have done some other reading on this forum and have found it to be quite interesting. Hence - reaching out.

I would like to also point out to another limitation - that it should be placed only in the first (top) section of the living area...

Will be more than happy to try and clarify if information provided is inadequate or unclear.

Thanks a lot.


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Looks good.

Where do you need help?

One thing I suggest is toe in the speakers so they meet at a point directly behind the listening position.

 

I looked at the drawing and a couple thoughts came to mind.
First.

The way the top room looks you have TWO bass "slots" for bass drainage where bass will exit the room.
One is the open space linking the two top rooms.
The other is the smaller open space opening to your front door alcove.
Both these open slots will suck bass out like bass traps---except they are not necessarily where your would WANT to place bass traps.
But THERE they are.
And THERE they shall remain!
Moving the walls is not on your agenda is my guess.
You need to work WITH these open "slots."
And additionally, for clear tuneful true bass there are more apparent hurdles to be overcome...

IF you go with YOUR picture that sofa out in the middle of the room may well suffer from lack of room gain as it is in a null position rather equidistant from all the supporting wall reflections.
There will be good bass up front near the speakers in other words.
But as your chair is out in the middle of a clearing (so to speak) it will not get any reinforcement from the room and may well be in a NULL where bass waves come to DIE.
That is a common problem with putting a sofa in the center of ANY room.
Not much you can do about it except understand how to deal with this position.
Lots of rooms have this problem and it is why guys on the forum are constantly complaining about their lack of good bass!
The good news is at least it is a SYMMETTRICAL position and in the "clear" so to speak, where it shouldn't have too many huge spikey "swings" in frequency outputs---but who KNOWS until you test the room?
And with your room there are not a lot of different positions available is my guess.
So you have to work with what you have.
You can make it work just fine is my guess---IF you tune for it.

If that wasn't enough of a problem you have a second big issue to consider that MAY also impact your sound:
If you set up using your existing drawing and point at that blank wall---that puts the larger of the two bass "holes" directly behind your head.
You simply will not get any room support AT ALL behind you and that could be a problem.
I am not saying I know how any of this will actually play out without trying some test setups---but that's what it LOOKS like to my eye.

How about THIS idea instead?
Can you point your sofa at the window, put sound absorbent junk on what is now your RIGHT wall (as you face the window) to balance the open area that starts six feet from the window on your LEFT?
That open hole between rooms can then be used as a first reflection killer.
Putting a ton of Sound Absorbent furniture or tapestries or Sonex on the adjoining RIGHT wall will then balance the room and kill first reflections on BOTH sides for a great improvement in sound.

This may also change the bass quite a bit for the better as now you have a little more wall directly behind your sofa to help bounce bass back to your chair and give you a fuller tone in the bass.
Plus that bass trap is no longer directly BEHIND your chair.
That small opening to the front door will not mess up the rear wall support nearly as bad as a totally open space between rooms would have done.
And, if you put sound absorbers on your RIGHT you now have way better symmetry for way better imaging.
PLUS (and this is a BIG deal to my mind) you then get A NICE VIEW.
Put some thick drapes on the front window and close them leaving open a small slot in the middle for center reflection fill---and VOILA!---you have a great front wall finally !

All of this is based on previous experience and if it were my own room I would probably set up a skeleton setup with speakers and amp to hear what the room is doing before committing to any particular design.
As for YOU, you should do two things to start yo0ur own course of personal development as an acoustician and setup expert.
Buy Jim Smith's "Get Better Sound."
Go on line and lookup and learn the Sumiko System of speaker placement---which uses "bad rooms" and makes them sing!.

But so far that's my best guess where to start and why...
Good luck!

 

Thanks George.

 

Doctor Fine

Wow ! This level of detail and input is very generous of you. Thanks indeed. Not only has this improved my perspective about the setup in multiples, its a massive education.
Will look up the references you mentioned