HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

I’ve built, with the help of what are apparently builders a new living space.
It’s almost finished now and while it has some advantages for the stereo; dedicated local earth mains, walls and floor that wont set up resonances within the audible range, I hope, the shape is a bit of an acoustic nightmare.

It’s going to be out with the mics and RTA software yet again and weeks of tinkering around with the crossovers. Quite curious to find out where if anywhere I can get a reasonably flat response listening position and what I find I prefer.
Anyway, the view out the window should take my mind off the acoustic anomalies.

Yep, it’s a bit brown rice and sandals, or otherwise known as an earth bermed build.

Running costs will be negligible. A wood burner sorts the heat in the winter. Hot water from a solar pre heat system with a butane powered instant heater if necessary.
We are on three phase electric supply here and don’t ask me why, but you get billed on the one phase with the highest consumption; that’s the main house so my low energy leccy system won’t even be noticeable.
Water from spring fed tank, gravity feed; sewage out to the main house septic tank system.
Flood and guttering water will eventually go to vegetable garden above the house when I eventually get up there and sort it out.










I will at last be able to listen to my stereo at whatever volume I can bear at any time I please.

Welder wrote:otherwise known as an earth bermed build.

Whohoo - first time I've seen the word 'berm' outside of India!

I am liking that a lot welder , looks nice and peaceful and secluded, all the things missing from my life .

Love this, awesome setting as well.

Looks really wonderfull. Enjoy.

'Berm' is originally a Dutch word (12th C) which came into English usage via French

Looks fantastic!

Love it,just needs a round front door to be a proper hobbit house...0nly jealous..

But you need large hairy feet as well.

Looks great but like Wallace I would need to fit a round front door

Thanks for the comments.
I had hoped to be installed by now but I’ve had a few problems, not least, a heart attack! I now have a stent installed in the artery that supplies blood to my lungs.
The Catalonian Health care was excellent; local hospital kept me ticking over and an hour later I was in a specialist unit in Barcelona watching on the monitor while they manoeuvred the stent from a hole in my wrist to the problem artery.

Unfortunately I can’t sing similar praises of the local builders who have helped build the structure and who while left largely unsupervised during my hospitalisation, ‘carried on regardless’ of just about every instruction on building standards imaginable.

However, work is progressing slowly. There is much I could do before the heart attack that is just not possible atm, lifting heavy stuff, prolonged exertion etc etc.

I had hoped by the fairly obvious industrial design of the structure to avoid the hobbit house comments; there’s the power of film for you. Build anything underground these days and people cry ‘hobbit’. In fact, bermed and excavated builds have been in existence way before Mr Tolkien put pen to paper.

So, nope, no round front door, no porthole windows and on a personal note, no hairy feet.
I shall hopefully be close to completion to a habitable state in a couple of weeks.
I’ll get some more pictures up soon.