sreejithsreedharan
Well-Known Member
Finally started the build for my dedicated listening room. Concrete work was completed yesterday. The room is coming up in the front balcony area, so I’ll need to incorporate windows for aesthetic reasons.
Dedicated Listening Room
- Thread starter sreejithsreedharan
- Start date
Finally started the build for my dedicated listening room. Concrete work was completed yesterday. The room is coming up in the front balcony area, so I’ll need to incorporate windows for aesthetic reasons.
Yelamanchili manohar
Well-Known Member
That is one nice sized room Sreejith
. You will probably never fall short of space there 
I recall reading somewhere that non parallel walls help with better acoustical properties.
Maybe a bit too late to consider this but it’s possible to do this to an extent while plastering?
I did come across this:
www.kissyourears.com
Given that acoustic properties of a listening room is considered the one of most important factor that impacts the reproduction of playback sound this is an exciting project. Please share regular updates on your design choices and progress.
This might be of some use:
en.wikipedia.org
Maybe a bit too late to consider this but it’s possible to do this to an extent while plastering?
I did come across this:
Should I Build Non-Parallel Walls in My Studio?
Short Answer: No — and here’s why. There’s a long-standing myth in acoustics: If you build your studio with slanted walls, you’ll eliminate room modes. Let’s be clear — that’s not how sound works. Yes, non-parallel walls can influence the acoustic behavior of a space. But they don’t make modes...
www.kissyourears.com
Given that acoustic properties of a listening room is considered the one of most important factor that impacts the reproduction of playback sound this is an exciting project. Please share regular updates on your design choices and progress.
This might be of some use:
Acoustic plaster - Wikipedia
Last edited:
sreejithsreedharan
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the suggestion.I recall reading somewhere that non parallel walls help with better acoustical properties.
Maybe a bit too late to consider this but it’s possible to do this to an extent while plastering?
I did come across this:
Should I Build Non-Parallel Walls in My Studio?
Short Answer: No — and here’s why. There’s a long-standing myth in acoustics: If you build your studio with slanted walls, you’ll eliminate room modes. Let’s be clear — that’s not how sound works. Yes, non-parallel walls can influence the acoustic behavior of a space. But they don’t make modes...
Given that acoustic properties of a listening room is considered the one of most important factor that impacts the reproduction of playback sound this is an exciting project. Please share regular updates on your design choices and progress.
This might be of some use:
Acoustic plaster - Wikipedia
Just one doubt I have — if the walls are non-parallel, won’t the reflected sound from the speakers reach our ears at slightly different timings? Would that affect imaging or the overall soundstage in a negative way? Or is the benefit mainly in reducing room modes?
At this stage, unfortunately, it’s not practically possible to create non-parallel walls since the room is coming up in the front balcony area and the structure is already defined.
Regarding acoustic plaster, that’s an interesting thought — I’ll check with the contractor to see if that’s feasible and what options are available locally.
Really appreciate the inputs. I’ll definitely keep sharing updates as the build progresses.
Thanks
I am definitely not an expert in room acoustics. But my understanding is that all the surfaces (including floor and ceiling) in the room reflect sound. How they reflect and how much they do, matters. Most people who are serious about this measure their room acoustics specially resonances and then add room treatment panels to absorb and or diffuse the problem frequencies.
Given that you know the exact dimensions of your new room and the materials used it may be possible to anticipate and calculate how sound waves will behave in there and tailor accordingly. Example: instead of plastering in the normal way you may want to consider acoustic panels (at least on the ceiling which is challenging to do if the build is already complete.
Since you are doing this as a dedicated audio room it would be good to consider these issues early and not as an afterthought.
Something to start with:
www.acousticsciences.com
Basic Concepts for Listening Rooms - Acoustic Sciences Corporation
ASC provides basic and advanced concepts and products for listening rooms, pro audio studio environments and more!
www.acousticsciences.com
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sreejithsreedharan
Well-Known Member
Thanks a lot for the detailed input. Really appreciate you taking the time.
You’re absolutely right — all surfaces (walls, floor, ceiling, glass) will reflect sound, and how they reflect + how much they reflect will define the character of the room. I’m definitely not an expert in room acoustics, but I fully agree that treatment should not be an afterthought in a dedicated listening room.
Before starting this build, we did some basic RT60 measurements and the average RT60 was around 0.65–0.75 seconds, with noticeable decay inconsistencies in the low frequencies. The room feels lively, but bass control and mid clarity can definitely improve. Ideally, for a dedicated listening room of this size, I’m targeting something in the 0.35–0.45 second range, with smoother decay across the spectrum.
The new room dimensions are already finalized structurally (since it’s coming up in the front balcony area), so major structural acoustic shaping like non-parallel walls isn’t possible at this stage. But acoustics is very much part of the initial plan — not something I want to fix later in panic mode.
Initial plan:
• Maintain proper speaker-listening position ratio (likely around 38% rule to start with)
• Thick curtains for window control (since windows are unavoidable)
• Large area rug between speakers and listening position
• Dedicated ceiling treatment — considering acoustic panels or at least partial cloud treatment
• Bass traps in corners (especially front wall corners)
• First reflection point panels on side walls
Regarding acoustic plaster — I need to check with the contractor about feasibility and availability locally. Ceiling treatment is definitely easier to plan now rather than after finishing.
My goal is not to over-deaden the room but to control early reflections and room modes while keeping it natural and musical. Since I mostly listen at moderate levels (~70–75 dB), I want clarity, imaging precision, and tight bass rather than sheer loudness.
This is an exciting phase for me — and I truly value these inputs. I’ll keep sharing measurements and progress as things move forward.
You’re absolutely right — all surfaces (walls, floor, ceiling, glass) will reflect sound, and how they reflect + how much they reflect will define the character of the room. I’m definitely not an expert in room acoustics, but I fully agree that treatment should not be an afterthought in a dedicated listening room.
Before starting this build, we did some basic RT60 measurements and the average RT60 was around 0.65–0.75 seconds, with noticeable decay inconsistencies in the low frequencies. The room feels lively, but bass control and mid clarity can definitely improve. Ideally, for a dedicated listening room of this size, I’m targeting something in the 0.35–0.45 second range, with smoother decay across the spectrum.
The new room dimensions are already finalized structurally (since it’s coming up in the front balcony area), so major structural acoustic shaping like non-parallel walls isn’t possible at this stage. But acoustics is very much part of the initial plan — not something I want to fix later in panic mode.
Initial plan:
• Maintain proper speaker-listening position ratio (likely around 38% rule to start with)
• Thick curtains for window control (since windows are unavoidable)
• Large area rug between speakers and listening position
• Dedicated ceiling treatment — considering acoustic panels or at least partial cloud treatment
• Bass traps in corners (especially front wall corners)
• First reflection point panels on side walls
Regarding acoustic plaster — I need to check with the contractor about feasibility and availability locally. Ceiling treatment is definitely easier to plan now rather than after finishing.
My goal is not to over-deaden the room but to control early reflections and room modes while keeping it natural and musical. Since I mostly listen at moderate levels (~70–75 dB), I want clarity, imaging precision, and tight bass rather than sheer loudness.
This is an exciting phase for me — and I truly value these inputs. I’ll keep sharing measurements and progress as things move forward.
You have made a great start for a nice sounding room for your music.
One last suggestion for your consideration: corner bass traps are large and ugly. It may be possible to get them and fix them in the corners and plaster over them before the wall plastering is completed. Best wishes.
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