Importance of Room Acoustics, and Speaker Placement
It’s easy and more fun to focus on audio video equipment and speakers than it is to focus on something like room acoustics. However, when it comes to optimizing the quality of your audio video system, paying attention to the acoustical characteristics of the room can reap large dividends. We thought the article below, about the importance of room acoustics, and speaker placement and the interaction of the two was interesting. These concepts apply to audio video setups whether we are discussing home theater or distributed audio systems and it relates to built-in speakers as well as conventional bookshelf or floor-standing speakers. However, it is also true that in the typical custom installation of a sound system or an audio video system the aesthetic and interior design of a room almost always trumps considerations of audio video system performance. In a high end home, it is fairly rare for the audio video consultant to be allowed the luxury of a floor standing speaker. We at Sound Ideas are entrusted with the responsibililty of delivering quality performance despite sub-optimal placement of built-in speakers in very large rooms with high ceilings. In San Diego audio video systems are often in rooms with acoustically reflective surfaces and lots of windows so as not to compromise ocean views or other beautiful scenery. Fortunately, many of the speakers we use enable us to pivot the tweeters toward the listening area to overcome at least some of these issues. The tweeters are mostly responsible for our perception of directionality so the ability to pivot them is a useful element in sound optimization.
Nevertheless, nothing can enhance the audio performance of a room more than taking into account the considerations mentioned in the article. Of course, when it comes to home theater or a family room surround sound system where higher performance is expected, room acoustics and speaker placement are elevated to an even higher level of importance.
Some excellent points are made in the article and they are always front and center in our sound system designs even though aesthetics often clash (literally) with acoustics.
You can read the article here.
