Type of flooring in a listening room?


Hi, I am considering new flooring in my listening room. I currently have wall to wall carpet in a 14x22 ft. room. The carpet is on a concrete slab floor. The speakers sit on the long wall about 4 ft. from the back wall and about 8 ft. apart. My listening seat is about 8 ft. from the speakers. 

I am considering a Vinyl Plank flooring called COREtec Plus. It has a thin layer of cork backing for sound deadening, but I think this is mainly for footfalls when walking across the floor. Does anyone have opinions on the effect of sound with a vinyl plank flooring vs. wall to wall carpet. I do not want to put up sound absorbing material all over the room. I know that would not go over well with my wife. 
slowhand

Showing 1 response by erik_squires

@slohand

Some acoustical materials are pretty.  GIK makes art panels where they will silk screen anything you want.  Some diffusers can look like sculpture.

I'm not sure what you are asking.  Did you think the vinyl was prettier?  The cork is really for any occupants underneath, but I encourage you to get flooring that's good on your feet.  Concrete sucks to walk on and reflects energy to your joints.

If you go with planks plus rugs, that should be fine, and help mix it up.  However, if it's all or nothing, the vinyl will be a bad idea.  When selecting rugs in the showroom, put your ear up to it, you'll hear the better material will make you feel like you are listening in a cave.

Don't forget your ceiling.  You can add some drama and romance with carefully chosen ceiling panels, or curtains draped horizontally.  I get it that you don't want a room to look like a padded cell, but a perfectly rectangular room in white is equally boring.  All carpet or all wood floors is also boring. Mix it up with some rugs, larger sculptures can act as diffusers. Soffit traps can add depth and color.