I just completed a full range trap/system. My ideas came from the designer of RealTraps.com. Actually, search for bass trap on the web and you will find the first site Ethan Winer used before he started realtraps.
I made 3 different traps. Two low bass traps, two midbass traps and 2 mid/high traps. mine started with his ideas but I made them a little different. No way would my wife let me hang them on the walls. I made free standing boxes about 4 feet tall. My base boxes unlike Ethan's have insulation for the faces so that I could place them around the room to get mid/highs. Therefore, all of my boxes are good for mid high as well.
My system is not optimal since I am not treating all walls. BUT, the improvement is amazing. I have JmLab mini-utopias with VTL tube gear. I just moved into a new house and to my horror the new living room made my system sound like a boom-box. REALLY muddy. Now the bottom end is so much tighter. Second I am using the strictly mid/high boxes on the front and rear walls. The soundstage is great-while the speakers just fade away. I made them look like art-well a little like art anyway.
My placement is as follows. One low and one mid bass trap behind the speakers and in the corner. That is one side a low the other a mid. Then a box next to the speaker along the walls to kill specular reflections. One gets a low the other a mid. Last, The back wall gets a larger, 4'by 4' mid/high and another I place one between the speakers. My rear wall is about ten feet back so that one is not too dramatic of a difference. The one between the speakers really pulls the stereo image out. Since my panels are free standing I move this one around since my speakers are on either side of a fireplace.
Sorry, this was rather long but this type of works very well even if you cannot cover all the walls. The physics theory is sound and in pracitice it can make a huge difference.
Stephen
I made 3 different traps. Two low bass traps, two midbass traps and 2 mid/high traps. mine started with his ideas but I made them a little different. No way would my wife let me hang them on the walls. I made free standing boxes about 4 feet tall. My base boxes unlike Ethan's have insulation for the faces so that I could place them around the room to get mid/highs. Therefore, all of my boxes are good for mid high as well.
My system is not optimal since I am not treating all walls. BUT, the improvement is amazing. I have JmLab mini-utopias with VTL tube gear. I just moved into a new house and to my horror the new living room made my system sound like a boom-box. REALLY muddy. Now the bottom end is so much tighter. Second I am using the strictly mid/high boxes on the front and rear walls. The soundstage is great-while the speakers just fade away. I made them look like art-well a little like art anyway.
My placement is as follows. One low and one mid bass trap behind the speakers and in the corner. That is one side a low the other a mid. Then a box next to the speaker along the walls to kill specular reflections. One gets a low the other a mid. Last, The back wall gets a larger, 4'by 4' mid/high and another I place one between the speakers. My rear wall is about ten feet back so that one is not too dramatic of a difference. The one between the speakers really pulls the stereo image out. Since my panels are free standing I move this one around since my speakers are on either side of a fireplace.
Sorry, this was rather long but this type of works very well even if you cannot cover all the walls. The physics theory is sound and in pracitice it can make a huge difference.
Stephen