Diffuser panel design - overrated?


Often wondered about all the variations you see on diffuser panels. The interlaced cut squares.  Some companies offer mathematically and scientifically designed panels that are supposed to perform extremely well. By Specifically dealing with all those individual frequencies with carefully measured elevations within the cut squares. How the heck do they do this given all the harmonics that are involved.

I mean it's just pressure amplitudes going across the room and instead of being reflected off of a flat surface they get scattered when they hit an irregular surface.  And this provides improved clarity because it reduces the intensity of reverberations.  Very similar to water being scattered when it hits underwater irregularities versus a flat wall.

So just by rearranging your bookshelf to create an uneven surface area, isn’t this achieving the same thing.  It's not rocket science.

 

jumia

People have diffuser panels on their wall, they're not very big sometimes.

 

How much surface area do you need in a 14 x 16 room for it to make a difference?

Isn't the diffuser panel competing with all the other irregular things scattered about?

@jumia 

If you’re serious about getting the best possible sound in your room, why not reach out to GIK Acoustics for a free consultation? Every room is unique and should be treated as such. 

I have seen the Gik acoustic stuff and it's not very nice to look at.  Whenever I walk into a room I see similar things from GIK.  free consultations I have done and they just wanna load you up with panels. Hardly independent. 
 

Acoustical treatment is a nightmare to deal with.  Just buy sub traps for the corners, add some absorption panels to the first reflection and a diffuser panel or two behind the speakers and you're done. It's not rocket science. And if you really wanna have some fun put the panels on your damn ceiling.  And get shades if you have windows.  It's not rocket science.