The Two Channel Advice Thread

I'm of two minds about the possibility of that sort of loss. There's the obvious catastrophic response and then there's, "I am free!" Part of my personality to never entirely be at peace with anything no matter how much I like it. I don't recommend it.

 

Yeah for both of my 2100 mile, almost “cross-country” moves involved ME packing my gear (all in factory boxes), and my records, and wine, and all my Astro gear. And then driving it myself (Uhaul). I had zero fatalities, unlike all the damage caused by the “professional movers” when we moved down to Texas (they somehow lost over a dozen boxes, AND destroyed a lot of things).

If you care, you do what you have to. Factory packaging for most decent audio gear and speakers is typically fine (after all that’s how they got it to you in the first place). But some big, valuable, and potentially fragile things like big-AZZ speakers many need to have shipping crates constructed. Moving companies have people that do that; it was fascinating when my son got his job at Toyota (in Michigan), they sent professional packers here to pack up his stuff. They built custom crates for my Vandersteens (despite them *also* having the factory boxes), and for his huge-AZZ 60” monitor.

My guess is for trans oceanic, they’ll then “palate things up”, with a shipping crate around THAT, so as to keep the “shipment” in controlled situation and not scattered about.

Insurance is your friend.

 

Yeah, I relate to this. As much I enjoy the stuff, it can take over a little (or a lot).

 

Thanks for this. I'll have to get further into the weeds of what overseas movers do with high value stuff like this. In many ways, the litmus test for who we choose probably will come down to who has the best solution for my Klipsch.

 

Mine wrote down long itemized lists of everything and included serial numbers of all electronics. I think that's fairly standard for customs/tax reasons. In the case of the UK, you don't pay if you move it all within a year. And even if it comes later, it's taxed at a very low rate. My sense is that most international movers operate the same way.

 

Perhaps pallet rather than palate - but yeah; the last trans-oceanic moves I did, although by air rather than sea, the gear was put on a wooden tray and then shrink-wrapped with layer upon layer of clear plastic. This might be the movers' preference, or at least an option; with each pallet then slotted securely into the container. Discuss with candidate companies to see. It does require the individual items to be packed into boxes that are solid enough or supported enough so they won't collapse when compressed by the wrap, though.

 

Update 1: I am actually leaning toward the wide and shallow layout at this point. Need to make the decision soon. I like the idea of trying to get my electronics off to the side and maybe putting my TV on a stand with no shelves.

Help me pick my condo according to which one has the best stereo room! Seeking all thoughts of pros/cons for these layouts or suggestions for other things I have not considered. Both are identical modern construction. No basement, ground floor. Similar windows. I can reasonably treat both rooms but probably no bass traps. Speakers are Vivid Audio Kaya 90 which have side mounted bass drivers and side ports.

1.) Long and narrow

• 15' width
• 28' long open to kitchen behind listening seat
• Can pull speakers really far off the front wall
• Cardas triangle?
• Asymmetrical slope vaulted ceiling from left to right
• Absolutely will have neighbors on the front AND back walls (kitchen + behind TV)

2.) Wide and shallow

• 21' width
• 13' deep with a short wall behind left side listening position
• Mostly open into dining space behind right side listening position
• Speakers must be closer to front wall, but still easily 48" from wall to front of speaker
• Roughly larger Cardas triangle
• Symmetrical vaulted ceiling with peak running on the short way, centered at listening position
• Neighbor only on kitchen wall behind listening position.

 

Any neighbors? Which one's are cooler with you listening to music at various hours.

I think my preference would be option 1, long and narrow. It looks like your listening setup is largely in one third the space, where as in option 2, your seat is basically in the middle. From the theory I've read, that should lead to less issues for the bass in the long run - especially helpful if you're not doing much to treat the bass.

Also, that half wall in option 2 is real close to your listening position, and I feel like it could present some issues.

 

Option 1, long and narrow, will definitely have neighbors on the kitchen wall and the TV wall, so both the front and back walls with respect to the listener's seated position. All units are setup this way.

Option 2, wide and shallow, will have neighbors only behind the kitchen wall which is behind the listening chair position.

 

Also in consideration is are you sharing this space with someone? Option 1 to me is the better shaped room, but then you're going to have to contend with people in the kitchen which may cut into critical listening. On the other hand, now you can cook dinner and still watch tv.

 

Living alone so no concerns there. I expect visitors rarely as I’m no longer in a desirable location. If a woman comes over, I’ll deal with that later.

 

One source of input is Room Eq Wizard's room simulator. Type in the dimensions and it'll tell you what the modes are. Not 100% just a place to start.

There are probably online equivalents.

 

Spoiler

 

My experience in having listened to Vivid Kaya’s is that they are imaging/soundstaging champs, bar almost none. The first room is - based on my experiences - going to be better for that. Is there NO way you can get the equipment (especially your TT) out from between/behind the speakers though? Maybe the cabinet off to one side and run longer interconnects so only Amp is in between? Also a video screen immediately behind/between them is going to compromise their legendary soundstaging…. You’ll want a plush quilt of some sort I would think.

 

Sure, there was a little reduction in harshness I guess. No EQ. The Yamaha is from 1985 or so; the only thing digitial on it is the tuner display :}

So, I got out my NHTs but my giant wire won't work well with them, so I ordered some starquad from BJC. That should get here this week and I can swap out the transducers; looking forward to trying that out. On the power front, the circuit could be considered "generic basement"; chest freezer, one set of overhead lights, and a string of outlets.

I have definitely played with positioning, both with the B&Ws and the Klipsch. It helped tighten up the bass and improve the soundstage, but no real bearing on stabby midrange/highs. It's interesting about REW and the calibrated mic- I had it in my Amazon cart but my GIK rep told me essentially not to bother, as the typical lower/ish budget home treatment installation was kind of always the same- bass trapping and a reduction in reflecting area (with or without dispersion).

I was there and going to do that but the GIK rep seemed to think it wouldn't net much benefit, but maybe that would be a solid next step.

 

I like this take, but I cannot eliminate the TV. I watch a lot of TV and movies in addition to stereo listening. So I have to make that compromise here. I have monoblocks so I could move the electronics to the side of the room and keep the monoblocks reasonably positioned with longer XLR interconnects.

Moving the electronics to the side of the stereo is something I have always wanted to try and have never been able to do. I will play with that layout a bit. This condo is only a rental, so I'm pretty sure I cannot mount the TV to the wall. I have considered getting a TV Cart for previous installations, though. That would look pretty ugly but may still be worth trying if it means I can move my electronics to the side of the stereo. I will play around with the configs this weekend and see if something there may work.

 

So to be clear… moving the equipment to the side whilst leaving the reflective screen is back-ass-wards. If that screen has to live there AND you value the amazing soundstaging of the Vivid’s (and I do, they are literally the first speaker I ever heard that had me thinking I could possibly give up my 35+ years addition to planars) then you MUST figure out something re: that screen… Hell, even a sheet or something… even at 6 feet “out” you will be amazed at the difference (give it a try, just take your bedsheet or blanket and do an “A/B”)

You have the (almost?) ultimate in a point source. Unleash it. It is so very much over-kill for video playback purposes…. I get the “one room for both” situation. But you can maximize it. If that screen MUST live between the speakers, then get them as far out/away from it as possible AND dampen the F out of it (or better diffuser it, but portable diffusion solutions that can work with large video screens are… ummm… do they exist?)

OR

Invest in a video projector and mount a remote controlled drop-down screen with a top of the line projection system… (which is what my BIL ended up doing with his VPI/Levinson/Ariel 10T setup that had to do double duty because #wife…)

You have epic speakers. I bet you keep them as long as I’ve kept my Duetta Siggy’s…

Yeah, ranting. But… That reflective screen IS the issue in the room.

 

I originally planned for a floor-rising screen and an UST rather than the TV in my current space. I fully intended to treat the wall between the speakers and have the screen lowered for serious listening. The TV won for simplicity sake in the short term and was 1/3 the cost, of course. I don't think I can justify eliminating the TV at this point so it's going to stay. I was leaning toward the long and narrow space, but now I am leaning more toward the wider, shallower space as its 2 car garage has its own merits.

I experimented with making a temporary mountable diffusor panel to put in front of the TV. I was never successful making something that worked. I should be able to plan/fabricate better solutions with this new space as I will have a garage and necessary tools to make something that can safely be placed in front of the TV without risk of damage or falling over.

 

I've desired one of those roll up OLEDs for this reason. For some reason the economics never works out...

https://www.oled-info.com/rollable-oleds

 

What UST's were you looking at? it's something I was fuzzily considering if I ever get around to developing my basement, though by the time I get there TVs may be cheap enough even at that size.