Building a Music Room

Jsman...if you are going to go through expense of building an add-on room for 2-ch audio, I would involve a professional acoustician or an outfit like Rives Audio from the start, not only for room dimensions but also for advise on materials to use in the construction for proper isolation, soundproofing, quiet HVAC design, electrical wiring, etc...The upfront investment ought to pay dividends in spades.

A project like yours was the subject of an article in HiFi+. Try checking out issues from Jan-March('09).

I agree with Cmalak. If I had the money to build a dedicated or semi-dedicated music room, Rives would absolutely be my first stop. The Level One price is not bad when considered in the total price of building a new room. Of course it can get as expensive as you want it to - just like the rest of this hobby. :)

Dick

In my opinion, there is no better investment you can make than the room. When I constructed my listening rooms, I relied heavily on F. Alton Everest's book, "Master Handbook of Acoustics". A good starting point is getting the proportions (rather than dimensions) of the room right. There's useful information in this book and others now avaialable. If, on the other hand, you're looking to contract the job out, Rives is a good starting point. Here's a link to some literature: http://www.amazon.com/Master-Handbook-Acoustics-Alton-Everest/dp/0071360972. Best of luck.