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Bass reinforcement for very large room

My main system resides in the great room of our open-concept house - essentially a 30x30 open area (entryway, family room, dining room, kitchen) with 15' ceilings.

My second system resides in the 11x15 master bedroom.

Recently I have become especially aware at how much better the much more modest system in the BR sounds - it is weighty and more authoritative. Why? Because no matter what sort of main speakers I use in the large room, it seems they cannot produce enough space for that very large space. In contrast, the BR speakers, with smaller drivers and lesser bass extension, pressurize the room and fill it with sound so easily.

The speakers (now) are Hyperion 938s. They are a quite-capable full-range speaker, solid to the low 30s or so. (The 'lack of weight' that plagues the great room is something that surely extents all the way up to the upper-bass, probably 125-150 Hz, so the speakers' extension is really not too vital. IOW, if they were flat to 20 Hz it wouldn't be much different.)

I am thinking subs are the only/best way to cure this. I could use some kind of EQ - but that would undoubtedly result in great driver excursion and an extreme load on my (modestly-powered) amplifiers. I think I need a lot more driver *area*. In other words, in this case there's no replacement for displacement. (And, by the way, I am no 'bass fiend'.)

I've had subs before. I don't like them because it seems they just never integrate *perfectly*. Especially if they must be relied on all the way up to 100 Hz or higher (which is something I've never even tried).

I don't really have any questions per se and am really just ruminating out loud, but if anyone has any thoughts to share, be my guest. (Moving might be my best bet.)
paulfolbrecht
paulfolbrecht OP
586 posts
 
Apachef1 - you didn't read carefully enough.

Drew, RW, Duke - no doubt that many subs are best. I neglected to provide one important fact - I'm not really expecting the sound/bass to fill the entire space. We listen 10' away on the couch and it just needs to sound good there. The rest of the space is "background-music" territory. Also, I was being vague with 30x30x15 - the space is quite irregular and there are no room node issues.

Two bigger subs along the back wall with the speakers is probably how I need to go. They just need to be good air-movers and I will need to spend a lot of time dialing them so I can get some fill all the way up to the 80-100 Hz region.

John - on the contrary I have not been pissing into the wind - I learned my lesson on that matter a good four months ago and don't plan to try it again, certainly not in the winter.

Seriously - I have tried some horns. Horns do have their issues. 10' is too close for big horns to gel. Etc.

This problem is a problem of bass, so going with horns all-around is not really the solution. It would be if I wanted HIGH SPLs and wanted them all throughout this space but that is not what we do.

Now, one of your big horn-loaded bass systems might be something... but wouldn't fit.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Time to stop fooling around with the 'little' guys. Go directly to the JBL Everest speakers. Big room, big speakers. These speakers were in the Kimber room at RMAF 2009. They are not horned loaded base, they use conventional 15 inch base units in a dual configuration, the mid and top is horned loaded so I think it would overcome your issues.
kijanki's avatar
kijanki
3,575 posts
 
Does your amp have enough power? I have the same Hyperion 938 speakers in 15x25 room with ceiling sloping from 12' to 20' and can get really loud powerful bass with Rowland 102 (class D) amp (150W at 6 Ohm). If it is a bass node (valley) you should be able to find too much bass (peak) walking in the room.
rhljazz
1,117 posts
 
I have my secondary system in a small room similar to yours and I know exactly the effect you are talking about with the bass pressure in the room. I love that little system. It is my warm cozy winter room. I don't believe you would be able to achieve the same effect in the space you describe no matter what speaker or sub/subs you changed or added. There are many things you can try to improve your setup but it will be impossible to duplicate your small room. Ideas to change your existing space, add walls, french doors, clerestory or transom windows or move. I have a large opening into a kitchen/dining area above an existing partial wall/plant shelf that I want to enclose but use the transom windows to let light in from the skylights in the kitchen. I don't want to move so I keep trying. Good luck.
paulfolbrecht OP
586 posts
 
Buconero117 - New speakers? YOU'RE THE DEVIL! YOU'RE THE DEVIL!!!!

Kijanki - have tried 200W SS and digital amps - tube amps have more & better bass.

Turns out there ARE bass nodes - there is a spot over in the dining area that has mucho bass response. Damn!

Well, there's one REL sub on the way already. We'll see what can be done. Neither the listening position nor the speakers can really be moved.
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