1.3. The listening room

Not normally pay any attention to the acoustics of the room where we will stereo Hi-Fi. Obviously because the majority can not devote a room exclusively as hearing or visual room, it is normal that the Hi-Fi equipment is placed in the living room, dining room, etc.. and share space with the various building elements, functional and decorative. However, without having to invest or modify the stay, you can improve the acoustic response in the room.

There are two basic points to consider:

1, State of the speakers.

These must be located taking into account the position of listening to ear level and structure of the room. Depending on the system and the number of speakers, these have to be routed to the position of the ear (hearing about).

• A Subwofer, (being low frequencies, therefore non-directional) is not very important position, but a correct position is placed in the ground in front of the room. If you put on one side, using a structural element that makes a trumpet, sounding board, you get more boost at low frequencies, obtaining greater presence and strength of these. It's about trying to go to different locations and see where you get a better response.

• If the boxes are a traditional ethereal equipment, these should be located in a small stand, bringing its position to try to make the tweeter (tweeter) is at the height of the ear (hearing about).

• On computers with multiple speakers, Hi-Fi equipment 5.1, 7.1, or those who have satellite speakers. The mid-high boxes with mid-range speakers and tweeter Squawkers have to put the ear height and oriented to the point of hearing. Since high frequencies, these are directional, requiring a direct view between the player (speaker) and receiver (ear). If the provision at ear level is hampered by elements of the room, we lose the direct signal and get a mediocre response at these frequencies. Under these circumstances, a good solution is to place the boxes above the ear, placing in the top of the wall or ceiling, and focusing toward the listening position with a slight downward slope. This situation provides a good hearing, even in different positions in the room or angles of hearing (hearing points).

Position of the speakers of a Home Cinema 5.1

Position of the speakers of a Home Cinema 7.1

2 nd room acoustic conditions.

The second element to take into account the elements that are part of the room that normally do not pay attention.

The sound waves emitted by the speaker are reflected by all the elements we have in the room, furniture, walls, floor etc. When they arrive to ear, we have the sum of all outdated over time according to its origin, it produces audible distortion and therefore a bad hearing distant real response of the speaker. It is complicated and expensive to optimize the response of a room, but we can minimize reflections if we take into account. Position absorbers and fabric curtains, carpets, sofas, paintings etc. can help.

For a proper hearing with clarity and fidelity we must keep in mind that our ears just has to get the direct sound produced by the speaker, have to eliminate or minimize all reflections produced in the listening room.