2. misc-audio
  3. 165436-20253

Raise your acoustic panels or die

Hi everyone,
I just had an interesting result while waiting on new panels from GIK. I've been pretty lazy in setting them up, nothing is hanging.  Everything is just placed on the floor around the speakers.  On the wall behind the speakers I have 2 Soffit Traps and 2 standalone panels inside them. Kind of like this:
(ST) (P) --------- (P) (ST)
With the traps standing up vertically. Last night I decided to put the panels directly on top of the soffit traps, giving me near floor to ceiling coverage in that corner. Lo and behold it raised the stereo image by a good 15-20 degrees or so. Orchestral instruments now appear above my tweets. 

So, if you have been leaving all your panels on the floor for convenience sake I strongly encourage you to raise them so they are more centered around the speaker, instead of at and below it.
erik_squires

Showing 7 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
I just lost a loved one from lazy and low acoustic panel placement. Don't let this be you.

The frustration of knowing they could have been saved will never leave you.

erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
I think we covered this but I wanted to clear up my point, yes it's good to center your panels, but panels on the floor and ceiling and floor to ceiling can be very useful. If you have only a handful of panels though, I do suggest you raise them up.

The consultant at GIK in fact recommended several floor mounted panels for my own listening room, so having panels there is not, by itself, wrong.
erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
Some panels benefit from the air gap improving the bass efficiency.

Actually, the panels I just lifted off the ground came with feet.  As shipments from GIK start to arrive I'll be relying on wall and ceiling mounting where applicable.
erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
@hilde45

I think you are one of the few who got the message I was trying to send really, to think vertically as well as horizontally when placing acoustical treatments.

Centering is better than not, but floor to ceiling is even better.

Best,
Erik
erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
@riley804

Oh, please oh please oh please do tell me what you expected because thew world has stopped at your attempts to throw shade.

Come on man, be an adult. Say what you have to say and move on. Don’t sit here s***t posting like a delicate teen trying to be a Heather.
erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
Hyperbole is a time-honored tradition here.  I hate using it but it's what the natives do.
erik_squires OP
15,654 posts
 
Riley:

Experience comes from making mistakes and experimentation. I’ve often said that if your imagine is lacking, improve your room acoustics in the dimension of the issue. Image too narrow? Go wide with treatment. Lack depth? consder the wall behind and in front of you. More technically knowledgeable acousticians than I have said similar things.


What I did not expect however was that vertically adjusting panels by a few feet would be so noticeable, or affect imaging this much. I expected my changes to improve the bass, not the image.
More to discover