How to reduce ringing and "shouting" vocals?

[PingWine]

The other day I was fiddling around with my bass traps and testing different positions just for the sake of testing.

The very interesting thing I found out that if I put the bass traps directly behind me the speakers didn't sound painful to my ears any more, even on high volumes! This is very new to my me as I have always assumed that my ears are just very sensitive.

My room is about 25m^3 (W 2.95m / D 2.60m / H 2.50m)

If I follow the 38% rule I sit 1m from the backwall. It seems that the backwall is the most offending enemy to my ears. How should I approach treating my room? I have read that first reflections are good and preferred but to my subjective testing, that doesn't seem true at all with very small rooms.

Is there something I'm missing? (Floor/ceiling reflections?)

 

[pozz]

Your "bass traps" are broadband foam wedges like you said last time right? Your are reducing reverb times in the midrange, specifically the front-back interaction that you are sitting in the middle of. If you measure your room you can check which frequencies are affected.

Edit: Just saw the link in your post. Reserve the term "bass trap" for panel or Helmholtz type designs. The manufacturers who randomly attach "bass trap" to their broadband products are lying.

If you want to further treat your room the real estate will start to suffer. Broadband traps have to be fairly thick to affect the low midrange and your room is very small and nearly square (meaning that bass will be very uneven). You could mount 10cm traps with a 10cm gap on your ceiling (air gaps essentially add to trap thickness). I would use any additional absorption sparingly since you can easily cause reverb time per frequency to unbalance in such a way that it would sound bad.

 

[PingWine]

Your "bass traps" are broadband foam wedges like you said last time right? Your are reducing reverb times in the midrange, specifically the front-back interaction that you are sitting in the middle of. If you measure your room you can check which frequencies are affected.

Edit: Just saw the link in your post. Reserve the term "bass trap" for panel or Helmholtz type designs. The manufacturers who randomly attach "bass trap" to their broadband products are lying.

If you want to further treat your room the real estate will start to suffer. Broadband traps have to be fairly thick to affect the low midrange and your room is very small and nearly square (meaning that bass will be very uneven). You could mount 10cm traps with a 10cm gap on your ceiling (air gaps essentially add to trap thickness). I would use any additional absorption sparingly since you can easily cause reverb time per frequency to unbalance in such a way that it would sound bad.

Yeah I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna get permission to mount anything to the ceiling so unfortunately that's out of the equation.

You said that I should use acoustic treatment "sparingly". How so? To my understanding, because there's so little room to have any meaningful reverb that it would be best just to treat as much as possible without making the room uncomfortable to be in. This way the front-back (2,6m) walls wouldn't mess with the sound nearly as much.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I have a bookcase directly next to my right speaker so that certainly doesn't help. Should I buy some cheap broadband foam tiles to reduce the very early reflection?

 

[pozz]

Acoustic treatment is frequency-specific. Broadband treatment, unless very thick, won't affect the lower mids or bass. You would be surprised how much "music" is down there, so you may get a situation where a lot of the instrument or vocal sounds good, while the lower parts are irritating/boomy.

Let me take a look at your seating plan and I'll reply again later.

 

[pozz]

Treating as much as possible is only the way to go if you've already exhausted EQ and are willing to invest in real bass traps. This is really expensive.

You have Yamaha HS5s and a Mivoc Hype 10 G2, right? Looking at Amir's review, that issue you have with the sound is likely to do with that 1kHz peak (the general FR shape reminds me of the famous/terrible NS10s). Try EQing first using Equalizer APO.

If you've already done that you can try another panel in front or behind you if you have the space and don't mind how it looks.

 

[Absolute]

First reflections from the front and back wall and from the ceiling isn't good reflections when they come early in time. Sidewall reflections can be a good thing depending on when and how.

RPG Absorbors behind my head and ceiling treatment saved my ears and let me go on with musical enjoyment in my acoustical nightmare of a living room.

If it's uncomfortable to clap your hands hard in a small room, music will be uncomfortable as well in my experience.

 

[detlev24]

[...] I have read that first reflections are good and preferred but to my subjective testing, that doesn't seem true at all with very small rooms. [...]

This is, because first reflections are never good; unless by personal preference. You can read more about it:

• Early Reflections Are Not Beneficial // Without the bookcase, you would at least require absorption on the left wall. With the bookcase as depicted, left and right absorption might be required. Symmetry is very important with regards to (no) reflections.
• Assessing Room EQ - Part 3 + Why Can't I Fix All my Acoustic Problems with EQ?
• A New Approach to Small Room Acoustics

...in addition the previously linked article about 'bass trap myths'. It also had been brought to your attention, that the "bass traps" you are referring to are useless for bass trapping.

You mentioned the 38% rule, which is another good rule of thumb (but nothing more). It definitely would be preferred, in your case, to sit as far away from the back wall as possible, i.e., at the front ~38% of your room.

Besides the obvious; bigger issues at taming room modes in small(er) rooms, I would consider to use diffusers on the back wall [if enough space is available]. Diffusers can make small rooms sound more spacious - but do also come at a considerable width; to work properly. If space is limited or if you are sitting too close to the back wall, absorption would be the only remaining option.

[ EDIT ]
Just in case it was not clear: Treatment of early reflections does include ceiling and floor (where applicable, i.e., no desk setup) - see above link to 38% rule.

Some options through various levels of acoustic room treatment are shown in this video; DIY is absolutely possible and less expensive [but, depending on the required amount, very time-consuming].