Please don't buy acoustic panels from GIK Acoustics, they are rubbish!

[tmtomh]

Rockwool is not affected by humidity. According to them, from Why does moisture repellence matter?:

Ah, I see. Thanks for that information!

 

[OldHvyMec]

I believe he said it WASN'T a bio smell but a chemical smell. If indeed the framing and glue are the culprits, treat ONE of the panel's framing. If it's the material
I really can't think of a way as Amirn pointed out. If the waves have to pass through the material you have a problem slowing it down or worse reflecting
it. Pledge wax will eventually dry if it's the framing. That should work.

We made panels out of very course fiberglass batting. chicken wire on either side and zip tied on a 12" grid. It compresses R-22 to 2" thick. We picked
up 2" used aluminum channel and screwed it together and ran a center brace. It was about 40.00 usd per panel. 3 of us turned out about 10-12 panels
per day and we made close to 50 or so over 2-3 weekends. I HATE fiberglass. We cut the cost by 90% I still have my 16 panels somewhere in a warehouse.

I've seen a lot of GIK treatment, no complaints except cost, and the wrong selection like corner bass traps that NEVER work. The worst is an untreated
room the close second, is an over-dampened room. One of the best setups I've ever done was outside with just a front wall (shop) and an open field
on 3 sides. Klipsch Horns and MC30s that were rebuilt. They pushed about 33-4 clean watts. They filled a whole city block. We used the Music Channel
as a source between record swaps and the DJ dancing. (me) 1980 or so. The annual Halloween party.

 

[JSmith]

GIK Acoustics panels have always smelled a lot

It's likely off-gassing/degassing of the rockwool... is your room ventilated properly?

if I don't air the living room regularly

Although after 3 years I would expect it to have dissipated by now. The fact it hasn't makes me wonder regarding sufficient ventilation.


JSmith

 

[holdingpants01]

About a year ago I bought two of their Scopus Tuned Membrane Bass Traps tuned to 70Hz, zero impact both in measurements or subjective, they just didn't work at all, 320€ right to the trash can

 

[NTK]

About a year ago I bought two of their Scopus Tuned Membrane Bass Traps tuned to 70Hz, zero impact both in measurements or subjective, they just didn't work at all, 320€ right to the trash can

One 23 inch × 23 inch tuned bass trap that only works at a specific narrow frequency range and is installed in a random location, and it doesn't produce any significant effect? Sorry, that's to be expected.

 

[holdingpants01]

One 23 inch × 23 inch tuned bass trap that only works at a specific narrow frequency range and is installed in a random location, and it doesn't produce any significant effect? Sorry, that's to be expected.

Why do you assume it was random? It wasn't insignificant, it was nothing, how many more do you think I need if two showed 0 change, 500? The whole point of this specific trap is its size to efficacy ratio, anyway I went with proper custom traps which were cheaper and actually worked. Their marketing materials are misleading at best and made up at worst

 

[Wesseling Audio Lab]

I have four GIK panels and they don't smell. I also made some simple unframed panels - in other words just rockwool stuffed inside jersey (t-shirt material) pillowcases - and the rock wool I got from my local home/hardware store doesn't smell either.

I wonder if long-term slightly high humidity could create a mildew smell or something? The insulation made from recycled denim contains an anti-fungal agent or mold inhibitor for this reason I believe, but I don't think rock wool contains any such additive.

Funny you mention this.

I installed some comfortboard 80 this year. A few of the bags were torn so home depot sold them at 50% discount.
After install there was an awful smell. I discovered the ends on a few pieces were saturated with animal urine. I cut out those areas and all was good..

 

[NTK]

Why do you assume it was random? It wasn't insignificant, it was nothing, how many more do you think I need if two showed 0 change, 500? The whole point of this specific trap is its size to efficacy ratio, anyway I went with proper custom traps which were cheaper and actually worked. Their marketing materials are misleading at best and made up at worst

Do you know where the pressure maxima of your room modes are?

 

[holdingpants01]

Do you know where the pressure maxima of your room modes are?

yes, though it seems like you know better

 

[NTK]

yes, though it seems like you know better

You can cover them with one 23 inch × 23 inch trap?

 

[holdingpants01]

You can cover them with one 23 inch × 23 inch trap?

I never said I had one, I tried the amount the GIK rep told me to, also please leave me alone

 

[Sokel]

I stopped reading at "smell" .
I would do detective work if that happened after sometime and it wasn't there at the beginning.
Did they smell right at the beginning?

I have a big problem with smell,sometimes even with the packaging that comes with some stuff!

 

[NTK]

I never said I had one, I tried the amount the GIK rep told me to, also please leave me alone

I am here to counter mis- or disinformation. How many did your 320€ get you? That's about the list price for 1 piece.

About a year ago I bought two of their Scopus Tuned Membrane Bass Traps tuned to 70Hz, zero impact both in measurements or subjective, they just didn't work at all, 320€ right to the trash can

 

[holdingpants01]

I am here to counter mis- or disinformation. How many did your 320€ get you? That's about the list price for 1 piece.

I wouldn't be so sure about your claimed goal, yet once again you prove yourself wrong, it's not the size you linked but still it shows 183€ here (ex. vat). Don't bother to reply again as I won't see it anyway

 

[NTK]

I wouldn't be so sure about your claimed goal, yet once again you prove yourself wrong, it's not the size you linked but still it shows 183€ here (ex. vat). Don't bother to reply again as I won't see it anyway

OK. 2 pieces, 8 square feet total. What's the total wall area of the room, and percentage coverage? It takes some basic knowledge of acoustics and room acoustics to properly apply acoustic treatments.

 

[Raticosa]

@Raticosa
Out of curiosity did you also opened the panels from Addictive Sound? I'm curious to know if everything is OK there.
Could it be not putting any layer of "non-woven fabric" is a standard "industry practice" around our part of the world? (I'm from Italy too)

No, but I found a post on the web where a guy opened a premium panel and the non-woven fabric is clearly visible.

 

[Raticosa]

You can't return the "smelly" ones?

I will try to reply to some questions:

a) I opened one of my Tri-Trap bass-traps (see image ), not a 244 planar broadband panel. The person from GIK acoustics confirmed me they don't use any non-woven fabric, so I assume that neither the 244 panels have the non woven fabric inside, the white you see probably is the naked wood, also in my Tri-Trap bass traps in the sharp corners is visible the wood below the Camira black fabric.

b) My panels smell, I repeat I clean them regularly so is not a problem of dust. I clean regularly my house and I don't smoke.

c) My house has been made in 2007 with modern criteria, the humidity of my living room is never above 50/60% so is not a problem of humidity. I never had mold on my walls, neither in the bedroom behind the wardrobe.

d) no one pointed out the fact that GIK acoustics is a liar, they say to use ECOSE rockwool but use a cheaper standard Isover one, this is the point that hurts me more. If I would have known I would never bought their panels and would have made by myself, saving money.

Hope this clarifies some aspects.

Best.

 

[Keith_W]

I wouldn't be so sure about your claimed goal, yet once again you prove yourself wrong, it's not the size you linked but still it shows 183€ here (ex. vat). Don't bother to reply again as I won't see it anyway

I would advise you to listen to him. He knows what he is talking about, and he does not mean you any malice at all.

 

[Raticosa]

I stopped reading at "smell" .
I would do detective work if that happened after sometime and it wasn't there at the beginning.
Did they smell right at the beginning?

I have a big problem with smell,sometimes even with the packaging that comes with some stuff!

At the beginning, the first two or three weeks, they smelled a lot but this is quite normal, they remained in their nylon envelope during the transport and probably at the factory too. After some weeks the smell reduced but it never disappeared completely, sadly.

 

[Raticosa]

No smell with my panels, and I have 19 of them in a 4.4m x 3.4m x 2.4m room, there may have been an odour when new 4 years ago but I can’t remember if this was an issue or not at the time. My panels get vacuumed on a low setting quite regularly by my mother, she’s one of those “clean freaks” (luv ya mom but please put the duster down and step away from the cleaning products) and never commented on fibres coming through the outer fabric, I’d notice them as my 4 tri traps are black and show up the slightest spider web etc.

I’m pretty sure there is a layer of permeable material covering the insulation material on my GIK panels, perhaps they are built differently in the UK

Mine are built in Poland , all they come from here.