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DIY Acoustic Panels

TimW

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This guy has some pretty great ideas. Here is a video he just posted showing how to make affordable acoustic panels.


I recently purchased some used GIK Acoustics 242 24" x 48" panels for $25.60 each. That was a good deal but I had been searching for used panels for quite a while and hadn't seen anything until now. The materials used to make the panels suggested by Tech Ingredients are readily available and easy to work with. I highly suggest trying out these panels if you have the ability to make them. Mine made a very audible and measurable improvement in the performance of my stereo system. The difference was only a few dB's when measured but the perceived improvement was much more then any swapping of audio gear has ever produced.
 

DonH56

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Corning OC-703 is pretty available and fairly cheap. Mounting any absorber off the wall helps significantly.
 
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TimW

TimW

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shouldn't be gluing it. Gluing turns it into closed cell and will lower absorption effectiveness / absorption coefficient.
According to Tech Ingredients, because the spray adhesive is flexible it does not interfere with the panel's sound absorption properties. Unfortunately he did not take measurements at lower frequencies where the bonded double layer panel would potentially be more effective. I would like to see tests showing the difference in low frequency performance between a single layer and two bonded layers.

Here is the point in the video where he explains his hypothesis on the bonding of panels.
 

amirm

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He does very nice instructional videos. In this case, he is giving wrong advice to put them on room reflection points. The side ones specifically can be beneficial. And you can easily overdamp the room with too many of these.
 
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TimW

TimW

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He does very nice instructional videos. In this case, he is giving wrong advice to put them on room reflection points. The side ones specifically can be beneficial. And you can easily overdamp the room with too many of these.
Where would you recommend putting them Amir? All of the guides and lectures I have learned from recommended treating the first reflection points with absorption. To be fair most of these were targeted at recording studio setups rather than listening rooms but not all.
 

amirm

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Where would you recommend putting them Amir? All of the guides and lectures I have learned from recommended treating the first reflection points with absorption. To be fair most of these were targeted at recording studio setups rather than listening rooms but not all.
Exactly. For home listening, side reflections are good.

As to where to put them, you could put them on front or back wall. Or other spaces on the side. Don't go over 25% of the walls being covered. If this is a general living room with furniture and such, then usually not much is needed.
 

Ellisr63

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I used Roxul R60, and Roxul R80 for the panels I made for my old Home Theater. I read someware that the Owens Corning was no longer the one to use as it is made of fiberglass, and is toxic to your health where the Roxul doesn't use fiberglass, and is just as good. I do know it sure is nice to make your own inexpensively and not have to worry about itching.
 

DonH56

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Mineral wool ain't great either... Whatever you make them from, cover them in suitable acoustic fabric, and you'll be fine as long as you don't start beating on them. The absorption coefficients are about the same no matter if you use mineral wool, hard fiberglass, fluffy pink fiberglass, etc. Spacing them off the wall a little, about the same as their thickness is the rule of thumb, will help. These are velocity based absorbers, and the velocity is ~zero right at the wall, so a few inches off makes them absorb much better.
 

Ellisr63

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I also find it I teresting that people are saying it is only available in 2"...I used 2" doubled not glued, and 3" which I special ordered from Lowe's.
 
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DonH56

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When I got mine years ago it was available in 2", 3", 4", and 6" but the local stores and most online places only stocked 2". All of mine are 4" or 6" (plus some 12" corner traps) so I just doubled up the 2" panels. That was actually cheaper than buying 4" panels, though I can't say I did a lot of shopping around, and ultimately went with kits to split the difference in cost and my time.
 

g29

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Here are a couple of modeling tools:

Multi Layer Absorber Calculator

Room Mode Calculator

The Multi-Layer Absorber Model Calculator shows higher flow resistivity materials work better for shallow depths and then performance transitions to lower flow resistivity materials for thicker depths (e.g. corner/soffit traps).

jTedPVf.jpg
 
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kach22i

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This guy has some pretty great ideas. Here is a video he just posted showing how to make affordable acoustic panels.

Looks to be a scientific process, but I just skipped around on first viewing to get a general idea of the video content.

He does very nice instructional videos. In this case, he is giving wrong advice to put them on room reflection points. The side ones specifically can be beneficial. And you can easily overdamp the room with too many of these.

Really?

I've always read that so-called "first reflection" points on the side walls when dealing with conventional dynamic loudspeakers should be treated in a two channel listening room at home.

I have narrow dispersion Martin Logan electrostatic hybrid speakers with woofer on the lower part and do not worry about it personally.
 
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