The two most important components - the Room and your Ears

[prerich]

After years of speakers, components and reference material - I must ask this question - How many of your really consider your room and your ears when your flip the power switch?

I 've kept my Snell speakers in my system longer than any other speaker that I've owned...longer than VPMS, Polk SRS, Infinity, Klipsch, JBL, Paradigm, AR, older B&W, Def Tech and a host of others. That reign has finally came to an end - and I don't think its the speaker's fault.

I changed my room recently and it's very damped - after living with the room for a while I noticed something - all the life was snuff from my Snells. The bass was better but the top end was buried. I brought the Whafedale 9.2's into my home for 2 channel duty. When I noticed that I was turning the volume up louder than normal for HT - I retired the Snells and brought out the Klipsch. The Snells destroyed the Klipsch Heresys in an earlier shoot out, but it was under different room conditions (differnt subs, added components like PEQ, Crossovers, amps). The new conditions seem to favor the Klipsch. This lead me to the conclusion...your room has a sound of its own. Room tuning is something that we should all look into - but what are we looking for? Are we looking for a room so neutral that it adds nothing to the sound - Get an anechoic chamber for that. Every room has a signature.

What are we looking for? I even feel that producers and artist will record their works for the type venue they will be played in. I've listened to some recordings lately that sound great in a car system but horrible on a good 2 channel system. Does that mean the recording is bad, or does it mean that the artist targeted his audiance - knowing that the music will be listened to in a car? Some of the most dynamic sound I've ever heard was at a Christian Rap concert! I was shocked (they took their time with those Yorkville speakers). I've also heard bad live sound - from people that can play!!!! What was part of these factors - I believe it was the room! I've played Kirk Whalum's Gospel according to Jazz III CD in my system and I haven't heard horns sound better - I believe the room has something to do with that - because before my changes, the Klipsch had too much bite!!!

Whether your room sings, or you have tamed it to be a totally silent partner - it still has a signature. Which brings me to the other component - your ears. Age had caught up with me and years of headphones. Now I need something like a Klipsch speaker.

You will go through changes in this journey but the two most important components are not the ones in a store, but the ones you live with everyday!