Room treatment with acoustic panels
Most folks on here consider this a no-brainer as far as it being necessary but people new to the hobby may wonder if it’s worth the expense. YES!
I never used them before because I knew nothing about them. With my newly created system I figured I would give them a shot so I’ve been getting a lot of help and advice with them from GIK Acoustics.
I ordered bass traps for the corners and side walls. I also bought the panels that go on the side walls for the "first reflection" spots and the panels that mount to the ceiling.
Not everything has arrived yet but yesterday I started placing some of the side wall panels.
Even just temporarily resting on blocks of wood while placement is finalized, the difference is extremely and immediately noticeable. Fuller, cleaner sound that makes the speakers disappear.
Boy, I can’t wait to get everything installed! If you’re new at this and think your gear already sounds good, treat the room anyways. You will love the difference.
GIK Acoustics will refund your money if you don’t. Probably something they’ve never had to worry about I’m sure.
If it is of help to anybody, here’s everything I’ve ordered from GIK:
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While your set-up likely provides some diffusion, the random configuration and placement is unlikely to achieve the smooth and desirable frequency response that properly designed and placed quadratic, skyline, etc. diffusers provide. You may have some frequencies impacted more than others, leading to an uneven room response. Consider using the search term: "are formulas important for good acoustic diffusion" for further elaboration. |
@tcutter I couldn't agree with you more. When I originally designed and built my room, it was just meant to be a room to relax and listen to some music. But shortly after finishing it, I became intrigued by this hobby and started upgrading my speakers and components. And so because it was never intended to be a dedicated, audio-first room, I didn't initially notice its acoustic shortcomings. Even so, I still thoroughly enjoy spending time in it. |
For the record (!)...I've spent more time than most in "treated" spaces with recording, mixing, and hanging about since the 60s. I understand "dry" rooms, anechoic chambers, sound absorbing panels, bass traps, etc., but I do prefer (for home listening) a room sound. My personal esthetic dictates the feel of a room, and the sweet spot where I sit with efficient horns focusing the sound at my head is absolutely not effected by the room in even the slightest meaningful way. Period. My careful sub placement adheres to what I like...why wouldn't it? Sound moves around the room in interesting ways and simply never sounds improper tonally...if it did I'd move the subs or mains. I can stand in a second floor alcove looking down on the horns on the far side of the room and the sound of the system is amazing up there. Its all good, so to speak, so you can stick your panels up in your empty shipping container or apply DSP to your man cave all you want and I simply hope you get even a fraction of the enjoyment I get from my glorious room. |
