Another room treatment convert


I made my first voyage into room treatment today with setting up five 2' x 4' x 2" 2.5# density panels (ATS Acoustics) in my listening room-balcony. The balcony is 13.5 x 16 x 8 feet with my back toward the balcony rail overlooking the great room below(no wall behind me, just a vaulted ceiling).

Impressive & positive difference compared to the sound of the system previously...which was already pretty good. The sound is tighter & more defined(articulate) from top to bottom. For less than $300 bucks I'd give the investment "two thumbs way up". I'll be ordering a couple more 2 x 2 panels to finish things off. Then DIY bass traps are next once the raw materials arrive.

Speakers are Snell Type A's on the long wall. Tube CDP & pre with a DNA-1 amp. The wide dispersion of the speakers & size of the room resulted in first reflection issues & some flutter echo from the mostly empty walls. I also have a narrow window on center behind the speakers & this gave me some glare, particularly with vocals. No more. MUCH better.

If anyone is sizing up that next power cord, set of matched tubes, pair of speaker cables, or audio rack, and you haven't addressed room treatment, I'd go for the room treatment first. Minimal investment for such a significant improvement.

It might too bold to say that many of the standard system tweaks or upgrades may be premature (or misguided) without room treatment being addressed...but given the impact I'm hearing I have to believe it's at least partially true.
fishboat

Showing 2 responses by acoustat6

Hi Newbee, Is is difficult to keep those couches and chairs on the ceiling and walls? I would reccomend a combination of bass traps and diffusion instead. They do look much more audiophile approved and are easier to hang. Plasic or real ficus/fern plants have way too little mass to affect the sound, and as you need to mount these on the ceiling also the plastic dirt falls out of the ficus plastic plants and real ferns are difficult to water on the ceiling. So actually there may be a need to buy/DIY real bass traps/diffusion. Picture this, sound does not recognize a ceiling, wall or floor, it reverberates off all of it equally so all surfaces need treatment. Go to Real Traps for real information.
Bob
Hi newbee and fishboat, Dont worry my mind is fragile also, too much information running through my brain....

Yes you took me too literally when I said "ALL surfaces" I did not mean every square inch, but the six boundries. Though in a zen sense every surface is "treated" already, with carpet, tile, plaster walls, windows and curtains etc.. Now the question is, are these usual sufraces which we choose to put in a room, are these the surfaces we want for good acoustics? Yes too much carpet is bad just as too much ceramic tile is bad. Too much plaster is bad just as too many windows are bad etc, etc. Now that being said and I am sure agreed upon we can discuss how much and what type of acoustic treatment we want. This is dependant on several factors. The room and its current acoustics, the sound system, its owners sonic goals and "the decorator". Couches, people (even if it is only myself, remember I am one of the dreaded single chair Barn Boyz, actually I do have two chairs but the other is reserved for my dog), rugs, tiles and plastic ficus trees all have an affect on the room, but how much and what can these item do? My favorites candles, incense, a lava lamp, records, motorcycles, books and bongs, all have a sonic impact on the room. My room still benifits from bass traps, absorption and diffusion, and yes I feel this was a turning point in hi-fidelity for me.

Its just a balance with everyday items, bass traps and whatever else floats your boat for diffusion and absorption . Who has a decorator anyway :) ? Barring decorators for the moment, all rooms have bass problems and the better they are addresed the happier you will be. Then its a walk in the park for the high freq, all you have to do is mount your sectional couch on the ceiling and.....:)
Bob