Dedicated Room - Yeah or Nay?

[Johnny Vinyl]

The Equipment Rack thread got me thinking about one's preference for either a dedicated audio room (isolated) or openly accessible multi-purpose room (integrated). Why did you choose one over the other (be specific please). Would you change your current environment for the other (again, be specific)?

[tom_hankins]

Dedicated room. No way could I go back to sharing my music space with anything else. I am king of the basement, long live the man cave.

[Johnny Vinyl]

I'm kind of torn. While it's nice to have a dedicated space I don't particularly enjoy being isolated or having restrictions for other activities.

[Hawk]

Semi Dedicated. Due to space and financial limitations, my 2 channel has to share space with my A/V system. For Stereo, not ideal to have the A/V speakers and subs in same room. When listening, I move A/V speakers(wood) back and away. Sub stays put. Black squares are Stillpoints Aperture panels. .

[Analog21]

I'm not sure how many have the option to pick or have "extra room" to have a dedicated room. I guess that is first world problems though. I'd go for more room layout, functionality, comfort level, etc in deciding though if I had to choose.

[dcc]

As posted under the members' systems, my listening room is also my living room. This requires some compromise like a stealthy acoustic treatment etc. I would have loved having a dedicated room but I am not sure that it would have been better.



There is however an upside. My family and more particularly my kids have learned to appreciate my passion for music and both have developed the same interest. I still recall, when several years ago, my son rushed into the living room asking who's that great singer I was playing and I replied "this is Peter Gabriel - sit and listen".

My kids' rooms are acoustically isolated so they don't get bothered by the noise. I did not want to impose what I endured with my father who had a dedicated room next to my sleeping room. My father was forced to switch to headphones for late evening sessions. I got rid of my headphones when I moved into my house 20 years ago.

[Hawk]

Looks Sweet! Very nice system & space

[rbbert]

That doesn't look much like any other living room I have seen

[mkuller]

Dedicated room hands down. We built a house in 1990 with a dedicated music room and it was fantastic for reviewing and just listening. My wife no longer complained about all of the equipment strewn around the living room but we did have to buy new living room furniture.

Then we downsized in 2008 and I turned the smaller living room in the house we bought into a dedicated music room/man cave. I added carpeting to the floor and added exterior-grade French Doors to close it off from the rest of the house. I have a small system in the family room for the TV and outdoors on the patio. My wife can watch TV while I listen to music and we don't bother each other.

http://gallery.audioasylum.com/cgi/view.mpl?UserImages=19321

[fcrowder]

I concur with respect to the dedicated room, preferably treated acoustically and with proper electrical service. What I really wish for is a slab up custom designed room with bass traps built in and not added as an after thought.

[tom_hankins]

My next/final house is going to have a slab up designed music room. If we decide to stay here, a room will be built inside this room. It's been a dream of mine for years. Close to coming true.

[Bill Hart]

With cats-- yes, we are back in the fur with some new Mau kittens--I wouldn't consider putting the hi-fi or records anywhere in a "public area" of the house.
Plus, I like retreating to my 'room'- even leaving aside the acoustic benefits of a good room, I enjoy having a space to call my own.
I guess I understand the social aspect of listening in the hang-out area of the house- for us, it is usually a kitchen, and an adjacent den area. But, it would also compete with appliances and other folks' interests- what if they don't want to listen to black metal music and want to talk about yoga and swamis? See what I mean? You can't please everybody, so I'm inclined to bunker down. Liz does dig hearing some of the stuff I play as a remote listener, elsewhere in the house. She gets all fidgety if forced to sit in the sweet spot in "listening mode" though, and feels like she is not being productive. For me, it's a zen experience-- the whole purpose is to be 'non-productive' which I find to be good way to recharge.

[allenh]

I'm kind of torn. While it's nice to have a dedicated space I don't particularly enjoy being isolated or having restrictions for other activities.

It is a mixed bag, Johnny. I used to have my system in the FR and the fam could enjoy music together. But after a while, they got annoyed at the volume I was playing, esp when the kids had school work. So I got kicked out of the FR and built a listening room in the basement, exactly below the FR. While the sonics have improved, I miss the serendipitous company joining me for a tune or two. With that said, I wouldn't give up my dedicated room now.

[JackD201]

In our old place, the kids and their friends. Barney, Disney and Nick dominated the family room. I retreated to the condo next door which we used to rent out. The rest is history.

[Per Sundell]

The guy that lives in my apartment seems to have a lot of non audio stuff and only one room. But he would love to have a dedicated room.

[Rust]

My living room is my listening room. It does have a flat screen but I do not do the surround home theater thing, two channel only. One chair in the sweet spot as I have been single for awhile. An end table to my right for a scotch and a cigar. On a good day I literally go into a semi-conscious state.

Were I to suddenly become rich, I'd probably build a house with a better room, a better kitchen, a bathroom with a full size Jacuzzi tub and separate shower and a bedroom with a walk in closet.

Speaking of the listening room, ideally only the speakers would be in the room, everything else located in a well isolated attached room to keep microphonics to a minimum.

[Alrainbow]

I took an entire apartment on the first floor ina multi family house and made it for my two channel
was going to have a AV setup in there too. Lost interest
but given the size of speakers I had no choice. I plan on selling the monsters and scale down to a smaller set of speakers.

[cpp]

I miss my dedicated "MY ROOM", but moving, downsizing with retirement , hey ya can't have everything these days unless you are loaded $$$$$.