Diffuse Front Wall? Absorb rear wall?


I'll research existing threads, but quick basic question --- is it a basic tenet that I should use a diffusing approach for the front wall and an absorption for the rear wall behind my listening position? I bought a wall rug, put it on the front wall, and though it seemed to quiet the room down in some good ways, it seems to have sucked some of the energy and sparkle from the soundstage. thanks.
stevewetterling

Showing 2 responses by tweaknkeep

I replaced the Sonex foam I had with 3 diffusers (each 2' x 4') which I put next to one another along the front wall behind the speakers. My speakers are about 5' out from the front wall. The diffusers increase ambiance and I enjoy the change. It also increases strident sounds. I discovered that Cabledyne power cords cut down a lot of the strident sounds. ASC tube traps also help.
@meerzistar. I ordered mine from ATS on Amazon. Each diffuser is about 8" deep and scatters from 325 Hz up to 3000. In the past few days, I've added more ASC tube traps and they really clean up the strident sounds. What really helped was a pair of 16" diameter traps 4' tall, one in each front corner (w/smaller diameter traps perched on top so the whole column goes up to the ceiling. Then, more tube traps on the first order reflection points against the side walls. So, now I have the best of both worlds, ambiance and timbre. Here's were you can find more info about the diffusers. http://www.atsacoustics.com/acoustic-diffusers.html