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Room accoustics - wall treatment vs near your head treatment

Eternals

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Aug 20, 2021
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I lack any accoustic measuring equipment and seek thoughts as to where the management of reflections can be acheived. Room periphery vs next to my head. Please bare with me, I appreciate that this is unlikely to be ideal.

My live-in room treatment enforcer (many of us have one of those) directs selected pictures only for the walls. With clap testing these pictures give some reflection reduction. There is a 3 seater fabric sofa along the wall to my right. The left wall is a large floor to ceiling window with French doors. There is a plus side. The room is oblong with the French doors are along the shorter wall. We have a thick carpet throughout. My listening position is the middle of one long side. Speakers are about 3m apart and each being about 2m from their respective side walls. My chair places my head about 50cm from the rear wall.
The room decor enforcer is fond of fluffy cushions. I experimented with one to each side of my head in my chair and they form a wide V with about 120 to 130 degrees from behind my head.
As well as being very comfortable, this seems to keep at least the mids and treble clear of room reflections. I have listened with and without the "specialised audio accoustic cushions", to the amusement of the room decor enforcer and our daughter.
I am mindful that thinking that my idea as clever may lead to assessment bias.
Your thoughts welcomed and perhaps some ridicule is anticipated. Be gentle please.
 

Hipper

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There are two issues for room treatment to deal with: the bass region, and the rest - mids and highs.

Your ideas will not deal with bass, but they will help with the rest. I see nothing wrong with 'wearing' some sort of head cap that stops side wall and rear wall reflections. It will not stop front wall reflections. What you are really trying to do is hear the direct sound from your speakers but not any reflections.

A high backed chair will stop rear wall reflections. I imagine you could design something that sits on a pole behind you like a four sided box - top, back and two sides - made of perhaps acoustic foam that you could cut to shape (foam cuts easily with an electric carving knife and can be glued together). Instead of a pole you could attach it to some head gear. The trouble might be comfort over a long listening period.

I experimented with this a few years ago:

023s.jpg


It was just four panels, three with feet, the other just sitting on top.

I recall it worked reasonably well but it wasn't practical for getting in and out the chair or controlling my equipment with the remote - adjusting volume mostly.

Another possibility is to put absorbers very close to your speakers so that they absorb the sounds that will become reflections. I do this in part. I put a panel on the outside of each speaker instead of on the side walls. I find this more practical. They can always be stored away when not in use.

017a.JPG


Panels could be put right next to the speaker, perhaps on both sides of each speaker, with another thin panel on top and sticking out so that ceiling reflections, if they are an issue, are also caught (I don't have any problem with ceiling reflections).

In practice the closer you are to your speakers the more likely you will reduce hearing reflections. It depends on how your speaker disperses the sound.
 
OP
E

Eternals

Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2021
Messages
30
Likes
8
There are two issues for room treatment to deal with: the bass region, and the rest - mids and highs.

Your ideas will not deal with bass, but they will help with the rest. I see nothing wrong with 'wearing' some sort of head cap that stops side wall and rear wall reflections. It will not stop front wall reflections. What you are really trying to do is hear the direct sound from your speakers but not any reflections.

A high backed chair will stop rear wall reflections. I imagine you could design something that sits on a pole behind you like a four sided box - top, back and two sides - made of perhaps acoustic foam that you could cut to shape (foam cuts easily with an electric carving knife and can be glued together). Instead of a pole you could attach it to some head gear. The trouble might be comfort over a long listening period.

I experimented with this a few years ago:

View attachment 200342

It was just four panels, three with feet, the other just sitting on top.

I recall it worked reasonably well but it wasn't practical for getting in and out the chair or controlling my equipment with the remote - adjusting volume mostly.

Another possibility is to put absorbers very close to your speakers so that they absorb the sounds that will become reflections. I do this in part. I put a panel on the outside of each speaker instead of on the side walls. I find this more practical. They can always be stored away when not in use.

View attachment 200337

Panels could be put right next to the speaker, perhaps on both sides of each speaker, with another thin panel on top and sticking out so that ceiling reflections, if they are an issue, are also caught (I don't have any problem with ceiling reflections).

In practice the closer you are to your speakers the more likely you will reduce hearing reflections. It depends on how your speaker disperses the sound.
@Hipper you've given me some great ideas, thank you very much. I'll struggle with some, but plenty of options so should be able to improve things further. You're right about the bass. I can open a door into the house and that seems to help at louder volumes. Thankfully not normally an issue for me.
 
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