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Diffuser or absorber behind listening position....and is it worth doing??

I am a relatively new to serious two channel listening so I don't have a lot of experience to rely on. However, from what I have read on this site I do feel pretty confident that improving my room acoustics via absorber and defusers panels will be the best way to improve SQ at this point. Unfortunately, because my listening room doubles as my living room the only place I can only use panels ( no base traps) and only behind my listening position.... hence my title question. What say you.....will I benefit from adding diffusers? Or should it be absorbers? or forget it and be happy with what I have. (which I am.... )

Here are some room and placement specifics:
Room 12 ft by 18ft 
Speakers (ribbon tweeter) on Long wall with large window with wood blinds on right and drywall on the left
Speakers baffle are 32 inches off front wall and 48 inches off both side wall and are 10 ft apart with a 6x9 rug.
Sitting position can be either against the wall or 2ft off the wall (just slide couch forward....which I do because sound stage and imaging is better).

My main goal is to improve imaging and stage. If it is worth doing, would there be any other benefits? Also,
could you recommend how large a space should the panels cover..... how thick panels should be?

Thanks in advance



 
mrpsync

Showing 1 response by lemonhaze

lemonhaze
409 posts
 
The advice to acquire a mic and download REW or HolmImpulse, as used by Earl Geddes and also free, is solid. Playing with this allows you to see the results of added treatment.

The basic problem all rooms have is the sound taking too long to decay and the use of EQ simply can not reduce the decay time, it needs to be absorbed and the OC703 you bought is great for the job.

tomic601 mentioned RT60. This is the time it takes for the sound bouncing chaotically around your room to decay by 60dB. and without looking up the figure for your size room would, I guess, be about 400ms. So if you see some frequencies with a T60 of 1 sec. these are the ones to be tamed. Then after introducing and/or moving some more treatment take another shot until you achieve an even smooth response across the full spectrum. Great fun.

By doing it this way you avoid any guesswork and will come to realise that the suggestions to hang a drape or install a thicker carpet is like trying to win the jackpot.

The thicker the absorber panel the greater the range of absorption. So 6" will be more broad-band than 4"  Move away from the back wall and use absorbers. You would be too close to a diffuser on the back wall.

Have a good read of this: https://ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html#bass%20traps
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