The million dollar question ? After +35 years with this wonderfull passion for sound and nusic, it still blows me how important room treatment in fact is, like speaker set-up. Move your speakers an inch or so, and u will notice a slight difference in bass response, imaging, soundstsge and many other things. You don't really know your set-up, untill these things are in place. So the million dollar question is all about doing these things right, and the only way to know that for sure, is to role up your sleeves and get to work. It can be done in a rush, or u can spend the rest of your life trying as me? Your choice 😁 ✌️❤️🇩🇰

Paul this is super helpful. Btw Swansea is not in England, its in Wales, where I live too. You're going to offend a whole nation 🤣

It never ceases to amaze me how many people have an upside-down understanding of LEDE. In a Live End Dead End room, it is the FRONT of the room (ie. where the speakers are) that is intended to be dead, and the BACK of the room that is live. If you look at most of the high profile studios designed by acousticians who use LEDE principles, or later evolutions of LEDE like RFZ, the wall behind the listener has a QRD diffuser on it and the front is typically a fabric stretch-wall system.

Ah, Boulder, Colorado, Canada. Swansea is in Wales, my friend, about an hour and a half from REL Acoustics in Bridgend (Wales), to put it in Audiophile geographical terms :-)

Yes, Pete, to those of us who have learned acoustics and done our listening spaces up proper like.... room acoustics are more important than the actual stereo. The difference between treated and not treated is simply profound. The way to do it is to start with simple first reflection absorption, and as your ears get into things and you start to be able to hear what the issues are etc then you start hunting other room features that need to be removed from the sonic landscape via absorption and or resonance dampening. When you have gotten well on with that and you feel now the sound is missing something in the life/ mojo category. that is when you introduce diffusion to the room in specific places and via the diffusion you create the actual sonic landscape. You also need to deal with room modes, that is a whole issue unto itself and of monumental importance for the sonic qualities, as having modal presence with distort the sound all the way to 20k hz.

Well I have been designing and setting up state of the art music systems for over 45 years. Most people put to much emphasis on the room and the acoustics of the room. Why ? Because the key to getting good sound which is essential is proper speaker placement ! Speaker placement is critical. The key is tuning the speakers to the room ! Not the room to the speakers ! If you spend the time and have the flexibility to place the speakers anywhere in the room then the key is taking the time to properly tune the speakers to the room. We all know that distances from the boundary’s effect bass response. Well once you get the bass right then you can fine tune the rest the sound as well as the tune imaging. What you will find is when you find the ideal placement of your speakers the rooms colorations and even reflections have been tuned out. Yes you can fine tune the sound with acoustical treatment but must be done very carefully and sparingly. Very light absorption materials can be used in strategic areas if any is really needed at all. Most people think you want a dead room. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. You want reflections they are your friend you just want it to be delayed ever so slightly. A 1 to 1.4 second delay is desired. For those who say they don’t have the flexibility to place there speakers anywhere in the room my suggestion is to go through the process and find that ideal speaker placement, mark the spot on the floor and when you want to do some serious listening pull them out and put them on that spot. When done listening simply push them back when they need to be out of the way. I have found the 1/3 rule works every time. But that is only a starting point. Very small changes effects the sound significantly, You know you are close when you don’t hear the room and have achieved the best bass response. It takes much time and patience but it is essential if you want to get good sound.

Audioholics has a couple videos that go really in depth about specs, placement and different kinds of absorbers and diffusers. They are long but answer any question you have about room treatment

I heard from my local HiFi shop…”I’d rather have MidFi gear in a HiFi room than the other way around”…makes sense and great video, Paul! Thank you!

I asked the question, as mentioned Wales rather than England and very close to REL and VertexAQ. Thanks Paul 😀

Never been to Swansea in the UK, but Swansea, Tasmania was a nice place for a round of golf.

Bob Robbins speaker set up is a good video to watch.

I wish more YT reviewers showed how to improve the room acoustic without necessarily giving into room treatments products. Not many are willing to put bass traps and diffusion panels in their living room or have the luxury of a dedicated room.

In high school, I bought my stereos from San Luis Obispo, CA’s Warehouse Sound Company. (Marantz 2325, Infinity Monitor Jrs. Etc.) In the back pages of the catalog, they sold a ‘room tuning kit’ guaranteed to ‘spreads the highs about the room’ per the ad copy. Oddly, there was only a photograph of an alligator clip on an extendable antenna. Huh.. 🤣 enjoy your videos Paul, and my gen1 PWD!

Agree. Go to a recording studio and you'll hear it damped aswell. It's good for mastering, but bad for enjoying. Rooms give their character with their acoustics. I love the sound of a good decorated long room (libraries, plants, frames, wood) with some treatment. Finding the sweet spot is the aim but not too much certainly.

Yeah,I appreciate your time too. Might not agree with u all the time but your opinion matters to me. Been watching your vids for 3 years now and appreciate taking time out of your day. Now make some damn speakers for around 1000 to 1500.

I disagree with a live room. I like totally dead . I set up listening in the near field about 8 ft with an Equilateral triangle from my ears That way I can hear exactly what's on the recording. I get tons of holographic imaging ( if it's on the recording ) and the sound behind the speaker when I set in the sweet spot

that's why when you have absorption panels like five or six inches of open cell foam you leave a gap in the panels of 6" or do not go up to the tweeter! the second absorption panels should be at your listening point and slightly in front 2ft and the gap between the panels should be 12" where it would be in line with the tweeters. and always concentrate on the ceiling above your speakers and slightly in front one 1ft about the speakers and 2.5-3 feet in thecentre. a 5" gap to the sidewalls between panels if no more than 3.5 feet away and between the speakers 7" gap. and some corner bass traps you should be fine, make the bass traps out of offcut carpet ideally shagpile or similar, get 4 wooden blocks for each carpet make sure it goes from floor to ceiling. the carpets behind the speakers the block should be 6" across screw in place 1 at the bottom 1 at the top and two evenly spaced in middle, make sure the carpets spiral's at least half its diameter inside, what should be 2 - 2 1/2 ft across. the back rolled up carpets in the corner have to be spaced anywhere from 12ft if that's your sitting position, give or take to 22" gap across if the room dictates it by its size in length. same thing just make your wooden blocks wider placement is important for the open gap of the spiral. the spiral opening behind the speakers should be facing each other tight to the wall. the carpets in the corners facing the speakers have to be on the side wall with it's opening against the wall facing the speakers.

Did anyone notice that everything Paul said is completely wrong according to the acoustic experts? First off the wall behind the speakers is called the front wall not the back. Second, you’re supposed to put absorption behind the speakers to absorb the back wave that comes off the speaker against the front wall, and then put diffusion on the back wall behind the listening position. Very strange

I'm in Warren ohio, love your content, and your commitment shows

Hello Paul.. as I live near the Welsh border you can say Swan-Zee as we say over hear.. but we know what you mean sir..

LOL trust me.....there's nothing romantic about Swansea!!

I can't believe this, Pete from Swansea asked _exactly_ what I wanted to ask, too! Including the 2nd part, i.e. if the room is more important than the electronics (I had a hunch it is). Thanks Pete, and thanks for confirming this Paul!

You’ll upset the Welsh, Swansea is in Wales!🤣

Hi Paul Thank you for questioning some many questions. I'm in the Hospital with covid. Love you genuine answers.

I disagree, unless you absolutely CAN’T treat for bass absorption first. Bass frequencies are so long that in typical home listening spaces that they will present problems, especially for full range speakers that go really deep, along with the harmonics generated by sympathetic vibrations from surfaces. Yes, diffusion panels (along with mid/high frequency absorption) on the front wall DO help even if you can’t adequately treat for bass absorption.

I do understand the importance of the room acoustics but I am not enough of an audiophile to alter the room ascetics to fully accommodate the requirements of room acoustics. Rugs and soft furniture will have to do.

Does LEDE apply to dipole speaker systems and open baffles as well?

what brand are the stand mount speakers in the video?

Paul what would be your suggestion on taming a large open room? I have a Post & Beam home with tall 20' ceiling's .. The room size overall is approx. 15' wide x 25' Long with those high ceilings.. Thanks Joe

I would love a ps audio amp, but I know you own some emotiva, and that's good enough for me, just don't have 4 figures

Does Paul ever leave the office?

Hi Paul, I've heard you mention klipsch speakers and I have question. I have legend series, klf20s, klfc7, ksps6s, and a ksw300, bought them new in 1999 and love them, recently upgraded my receiver from an Integra dtr7.3 to a Yamaha rxa2a. My question is, considering the high sensitivity does an amp, I'm considering the emotiva basx a2,, make sense. It's about all my budget allows because I also want to order the Bob Crites tweeter and crossover upgrade kits for the front 3

Swansea, England. Where the swans play water polo. Lol! But i digress... what on earth is the acoustic purpose of that huge sheet of polished acrylic on your back wall?

To add to the confusion he talks about diffusion on the back wall and points at the front wall.

The Live-End Dead-End concept was popular in the '80s and 90's and was used in many control rooms: some good, some not so good. The idea of putting all the diffusion in the front of the room and all the absorption in the back never seemed very logical to me. But, my specific question here is whether diffusers are very beneficial when they're behind the speakers? Is there really much sound there to be diffused?

This presentation is based on using speaker away from the walls of the room, what would be your recommendations if the speakers were highly directional and controlled, say no more than 90 degrees horizontally, and placed in the corners?

I like loose set ups for background music :)

Thanks Paul! Given your sometimes open antipathy toward standmount speakers, would you be so kind as to name the brand in your listening room. I think I saw a sub lurking in the background. Curious…!

Theres a GOLDMINE just waiting for anyone willing to produce room treatment products designed to appear as normal household decor.

Some logic measurements are to stand in the middle of the room 👏 your hands and listen if there is echo in your room place a rug on the listening room or place heavy drapes on the back window but remember speaker placement is very important

Paul What I hang mini pillow in front of tweeter to tame the bright sound of my system.

v nice i like

Many people like earphones. There you have very little room acoustics but we like it. My square large room has poor acoustics which spoils the sound a lot. I have foam mats on 40% of the room plus furniture and other things. Yet skustikk is not good. I guess you have to dampen the room approx. 50% - 60% before they become really noticeable. Also the roof must be damped

It sounds overdamped when you throw crap on the walls but don't do anything for bass - nobody needs the liveness of the room - it's already on the record

Here's a clue, Paul: The swans swim among the "Wales" on the sea... 🎶🤫🎶

Any chance you can cut the subs pls? Perhaps around 80, like some mics. Listening through a studio set up all the bumps and thuds come through clear as day, and you know your viewers like sub, just in the right place ;)

I have an L shaped couch that goes 3/4 towards one speaker, i can see all the drivers though. It's a living room, so comprises.... But strange enough, the soundstage isn't affected at all. Acoustics are so weird. The more i read the more i get confused 🤣

what do think about dongle DACs and Chi-fi IEMs ??

Swansea is pronounced as one word, not Swan Sea. It’s not romantic at all, a port town!

Treat your room as much as you can - but start with the bass and then balance the upper frequencies to the bass level of absorption. Diffusion creates fake sound field which confuses the brain.

A man who's clearly never been to Swansea.....lol

Unfortunately it's pronounced Swan-zee, which really takes away the romance 😅

Nothing romantic about Swansea trust me lol

I clean boogers out of my ears

Sir, all you say is crap!...let me explain..you put wool/carpet in rooms and speakers because youre cold in the ear hahaha!

Fake news, swans don't swim in the sea, do they? xD