Not treated bigger space vs a small space treated acoustically?

I'm going with the smaller room.
Definitely need to treat it tho. At this point my speakers sound very bright. Any sort of sound echoes and seems so hurt my ears.
As someone mentioned on another thread on room acoustics “empty rooms make much….reverb”
I imagine this would be true for both the rooms.
Being able to pull your speakers 1/3rd into the room and having your listening position 1/3rd away from rear wall is a privilege that should IMHO not be dismissed lightly. A carpet on the floor and a couple of shelves full of books at the first reflection area on either side walls is a good start before making permanent decor and treatment choices.
If you are not pressed for time and have a relaxed deadline you could experiment more to make a more deliberate and considered choice perhaps?
You could also consider other possible reasons for “bright” sound other than the rooms themselves.
 
I totally agree with Analogous' suggestions.

You could also toe out the speakers so they point straight ahead, instead of at your ears. This will reduce the treble / brightness
 
I'm going with the smaller room.
Definitely need to treat it tho. At this point my speakers sound very bright. Any sort of sound echoes and seems so hurt my ears.

The perceived "brightness" is not totally due to the room acoustics, though in part the room is responsible too. It's possibly due to the unfavorable tonal balance due to room size that is causing it.

Before you plonk money on expensive room treatment, there are a few things worth trying.

(1) Change the amp - Does any of your friends have an amplifier with more grunt? Try to borrow and try it in your setup. The perceived "brightness" may go away or reduce if an amp is able to bring the potential of the speakers out in the room better.

(2) Speaker placement - You mention speakers are 9 feet apart and 9 feet away from listening position. Which wall is it along? Long wall or short wall?

If it's along the short wall, can you move it along the long wall?

If not, can you move the speakers closer together so they are 7 feet apart from each other and the listening position?

(3) Toe out the speakers by a few degrees if they are looking straight ahead at you.

(4) If the toe in is not significant, damp the first reflection points. It doesn't have to be proper, experiment can be done with something as basic as a chair with thick bath towel spread on it.

Each of the above should help your cause. Try to find out which ones work and which ones made the maximum impact. That will give you a start point.
 
(2) Speaker placement - You mention speakers are 9 feet apart and 9 feet away from listening position. Which wall is it along? Long wall or short wall?
If it's along the short wall, can you move it along the long wall?
That's interesting advice. Could you elaborate? In my experience, there's something to it (I've found it to always sound better as opposed to the short wall - actually much much better as a thumb rule) but don't know what's the science behind it.
 
I think it’s time for the OP to share more details of the rooms….dimensions, glass surfaces (windows) and other features that could affect acoustics
 
That's interesting advice. Could you elaborate? In my experience, there's something to it (I've found it to always sound better as opposed to the short wall - actually much much better as a thumb rule) but don't know what's the science behind it.

To cut a "long" story "short" :D

With the short wall early reflections (the more villainous ones) are more prominent than they would be in a long wall set up. By moving the speakers along the long wall you change how the reflections interact with the room. They result is often "better" sound.
 
Moving them along the long wall also (usually) provides more distance from the wall and Corner behind the speakers. This substantially reduces room excitation / resonances
 
To cut a "long" story "short" :D

With the short wall early reflections (the more villainous ones) are more prominent than they would be in a long wall set up. By moving the speakers along the long wall you change how the reflections interact with the room. They result is often "better" sound.
Yes, the early reflection bit being negated noticeably results in much better width of soundstage and a nicer overall presentation. Hans Beekhuyzen's guide on how to setup a stereo explains the concept really well i.e. the reflection off a mirror, when you can see the drivers on the speaker while seated in your listening position, should be 1.8m longer than the direct path. And that works. But in my experience, the most noticeable and profound improvement in speakers placed along the long wall has been in the bass department. Is it by virtue of the same principle?
 
Moving them along the long wall also (usually) provides more distance from the wall and Corner behind the speakers. This substantially reduces room excitation / resonances
I should have added the obvious, the resonances will be most prominent below 200 Hz ie mid bass, bass n deep bass.

Each room corner has 3 surfaces .... creating max bass resonance.

Typically u want to place yr speakers far away from room corners
 
The perceived "brightness" is not totally due to the room acoustics, though in part the room is responsible too. It's possibly due to the unfavorable tonal balance due to room size that is causing it.

Before you plonk money on expensive room treatment, there are a few things worth trying.

(1) Change the amp - Does any of your friends have an amplifier with more grunt? Try to borrow and try it in your setup. The perceived "brightness" may go away or reduce if an amp is able to bring the potential of the speakers out in the room better.

(2) Speaker placement - You mention speakers are 9 feet apart and 9 feet away from listening position. Which wall is it along? Long wall or short wall?

If it's along the short wall, can you move it along the long wall?

If not, can you move the speakers closer together so they are 7 feet apart from each other and the listening position?

(3) Toe out the speakers by a few degrees if they are looking straight ahead at you.

(4) If the toe in is not significant, damp the first reflection points. It doesn't have to be proper, experiment can be done with something as basic as a chair with thick bath towel spread on it.

Each of the above should help your cause. Try to find out which ones work and which ones made the maximum impact. That will give you a start point.
@bloredude

Unfortunately I do not have the option to move the speakers on the short wall.
I did move the speakers a bit closer and toed them out made a noticeable difference in those sharp highs. Thankk youu!!!!

I'll add a few plants and stuff to see if they help.

I have a weird question tho.
I have a wardrobe on the left wall which comes directly at the first reflection point.
Does it make sense to open the wardrobe while listening to music?

2 feet deep with shirts and trousers I believe this could really help with damping.
But I feel it might just ruin the stereo imaging with a huge wardrobe on the left and nothing on the right if that makes sense?

Will definitely try out the towel trick.
 
@bloredude
I have a wardrobe on the left wall which comes directly at the first reflection point.
Does it make sense to open the wardrobe while listening to music?

2 feet deep with shirts and trousers I believe this could really help with damping.
But I feel it might just ruin the stereo imaging with a huge wardrobe on the left and nothing on the right if that makes sense?

First thought is yeah, why not, some damping would be good. But hell no, don't do that. It will mess with the stereo image. Not that it's not messing right now, it still is, but it will mess more if you open it.

You should either try to move the almirah to another place or get a similar almirah on the opposite wall. Two almirahs on the side walls would provide a uniform damping and if placed on the first reflection point it will work like an absorber taming the highs pretty nicely.
 
@SuyashMoorpana would you like to share a schematic diagram if the two rooms with the details like cupboards, windows, doors etc? This will help visualize the spaces better and hopefully get you better suggestions.
 
But in my experience, the most noticeable and profound improvement in speakers placed along the long wall has been in the bass department. Is it by virtue of the same principle?

A room works like an enclosure. It causes gain (ads reverb to the original sound). This gain varies depending on the frequency of the sound wave. For bass notes this gain is more compared to higher frequencies. Hence it "messes" with the (overall) sound with much greater vengeance. As the speaker moves out in to the room, these gains become more uniform. Hence the more accurate reproduction.
 
@SuyashMoorpana would you like to share a schematic diagram if the two rooms with the details like cupboards, windows, doors etc? This will help visualize the spaces better and hopefully get you better suggestions.
@Analogous
I tried uploading a couple of images but faced an error saying the file is too big even tho it's only 1-2 mb.
Here's a we transfer link with a couple of images of my bedroom in which the speakers are right now.

Note : Somethings might look out of dimension as the pictures have been taken on a wide angle lens.
Right now my speakers are 7 feet apart and 9 feet from the listening position i.e the back of the bed.

Please please pleaseee ignore the mess. :p


Your inputs would be highly appreciated. :)
 
A room works like an enclosure. It causes gain (ads reverb to the original sound). This gain varies depending on the frequency of the sound wave. For bass notes this gain is more compared to higher frequencies. Hence it "messes" with the (overall) sound with much greater vengeance. As the speaker moves out in to the room, these gains become more uniform. Hence the more accurate reproduction.
On the contrary, my experience militates against the abovesaid principle of room gain insofar as the short wall is concerned. I've found that speakers placed along the shortwall, where it's close to both the backwall and sidewall, produce less impactful and deep bass compared to the longwall where, despite not being close to the sidewall, the bass produced by the speaker becomes more substantial.

However, I understand that no two rooms are the same and this experience may be limited to the few rooms that I've experienced this phenomenon so maybe there's more to it.

Colour me confounded...
 
On the contrary, my experience militates against the abovesaid principle of room gain insofar as the short wall is concerned. I've found that speakers placed along the shortwall, where it's close to both the backwall and sidewall, produce less impactful and deep bass compared to the longwall where, despite not being close to the sidewall, the bass produced by the speaker becomes more substantial.

That's why every post on an audiophile forum should end with YMMV. May be that should be my "signature"? :D
 
@Analogous
I tried uploading a couple of images but faced an error saying the file is too big even tho it's only 1-2 mb.
Here's a we transfer link with a couple of images of my bedroom in which the speakers are right now.

Note : Somethings might look out of dimension as the pictures have been taken on a wide angle lens.
Right now my speakers are 7 feet apart and 9 feet from the listening position i.e the back of the bed.

Please please pleaseee ignore the mess. :p


Your inputs would be highly appreciated. :)
Thanks for sharing the pictures. I was under the (mistaken) impression the rooms were still incomplete. I see they are actually finished and treated, but not with acoustics in mind. There are lots of highly reflective surfaces (laminated doors of cupboards, floor and possibly even the wall paint finish) I can now understand what you meant by saying the room sounds “bright and echoey”
I also understand the room is primarily a bedroom so moving the bed out is not an option?
So my two bits:
you need to pull your speakers out away from the wall and also have some space between the side walls and speakers. One possibility is to try moving the whole setup forward so that the entrance to the room is behind and around the speakers and music set up. But then the bed has to be removed.
A carpet or thick dhurrie or rug on the floor in front of the speakers.
You need to decide if you want to listen to music lying down. If your preference is for TV watching this may be ok.
For music one frequent recommendation by experts is position yourself and speakers as an equilateral or isosceles triangle, with tweeters at ear level (better imaging)
You will need some diffusers or absorbers on the walls to the side and behind the speakers to tame the first reflections.
Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for sharing the pictures. I was under the (mistaken) impression the rooms were still incomplete. I see they are actually finished and treated, but not with acoustics in mind. There are lots of highly reflective surfaces (laminated doors of cupboards, floor and possibly even the wall paint finish) I can now understand what you meant by saying the room sounds “bright and echoey”
Exactly..I can sort of hear or feel the sound getting messed up with these reflective surfaces.
I also understand the room is primarily a bedroom so moving the bed out is not an option?
Nopeee!
So my two bits:
you need to pull your speakers out away from the wall and also have some space between the side walls and speakers. One possibility is to try moving the whole setup forward so that the entrance to the room is behind and around the speakers and music set up. But then the bed has to be removed.
A carpet or thick dhurrie or rug on the floor in front of the speakers.
Removing the bed is not an option so cannot bring the whole setup forward.
I am planning to replace the rug I have right now with a thicker one.

You need to decide if you want to listen to music lying down. If your preference is for TV watching this may be ok.
For music one frequent recommendation by experts is position yourself and speakers as an equilateral or isosceles triangle, with tweeters at ear level (better imaging)
I'll be sitting close to the back of the bed at the time of listening.
You will need some diffusers or absorbers on the walls to the side and behind the speakers to tame the first reflections.
Will definitely add some panels in the future when I have a fair idea of what is the right way to do it.
Hope this helps.
Thankk youu!!!!
 
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