Just Starting

[Coy Ramsey]

New house under construction, new A/V opportunity, old ears (some hi-f hearing loss). Coming from Def Tech Procinema 600 5.1 so my baseline isn't too high. New system will be wired for 7.1.2 (wired for 2 subs) with distributed audio via MusicCast with WXA-50 amps. Yamaha RXA-660 Aventage AVR (80 wpc). Chane A2.4 speakers for L/C/R, Hsu sub VTF2-Mk5 (12") w/1 to start, ceiling ATMOS. 80% HT, 20% soft rock, vocal clarity is important, loudness is not, not bassheads but enjoy moderate bass support for music & movies. Big issue is that HT room is 14x14x9 with 3.5 hard walls (windows, drywall), 0.5 wall open to larger surrounding area, hard ceiling (drywall) and hardwood/concrete floor. These dimensions concern me. I'm starting from limited knowledge but willing to work thru learning curve, with help that may be available. Can REW software help determine room treatment and speaker placement ?

 

[Coy Ramsey]

Ok, it's almost Nov., 2019 and we have been in the new house for a couple of months. Getting everything working, it seems that all electricial appliances now connect to the internet which is typically convenient but learning/using all the various apps gets a bit confusing at times. I have the A/V system operational and working fairly well. There have been a few changes since my previous message back in Jan. I wired in a 5.1.2 HT (not 7.1.2) with two connections for subs. Bought ELAC Debut 5.2's for L/C/R on sale for a great price. Brought along the old Def Tech 600 sub from the old house. Using Polk architectural in-wall/in-ceiling speakers for surrounds (back wall) and ATMOS (ceiling) so nothing too fancy in the way of speakers. Distributed audio via Yamaha MusicCast into 4 zones using Yamaha amps and ceiling speakers - working well. The HT room certainly has some challenges; ie reflective room, MLP on back wall, square dimensions, open wall, etc, etc. but, surprisingly, the system works fairly well, at least to my limited hearing/listening skills and abilities. Now to start thinking about upgrades. My priorities are a new sub and then focus on the front wall L/C/R for dialog clarity. The ELAC's are a significant improvement over the old Def Tech 600 speakers but I hope to still do better, I still must use subtitles on most of my TV/movie listening so an improvement in the center channel becomes the next thing to look at. The Chanes are still a possibility as well as the Acend Sierra 2's but I'm currently leaning toward a 3-way cc to gain the dedicated mid-range driver, maybe the best technology step ? The SVS Ultra center gets a lot of positive reviews and looks good on paper, plus doesn't break the budget. In parallel, I will need to work on room improvements - probably starting with a rug on the floor between the front speakers and the listening couch. Suggestions on all are appreciated.

 

[Sonnie Parker]

I moved this to system setup and support... as it's not directly related to REW support.

To answer your first question... yes... REW can help you with your setup, but you probably want to start with your ears on the best location for your front main speakers. There are threads about sound stage and imaging that may help with speaker placement, although with 80% HT... music listening doesn't sound like a major priority.

The room will be challenging, no doubt about it. You could probably use some first reflection point acoustic panels on the side walls... and maybe some diffusion panel directly behind you... this should help with the liveliness.

You can seek out new sub recommendations in the Subwoofer forum.