I'm been involved in getting some room treatment done and I'm going to stick up some pictures here to give a basic outline of what I've doing. When I'm completely done I'll update the photos in the first post after the slightly beautifying steps have been taken. Good thing I'm single, I could never get a women to go along with what I've done to my "Man Cave". LOL There wasn't any real open wall space available to hang acoustic panels so something had to go and it ended up being the windows. From my POV it's a win-win-win situation, I gain a lot of sq ft of sound treatment area, I gain a lot of temperature insulation since my windows were crap for that anyway, I gain a lot of sound insulation to keep from bothering neighbors all around from my all night listening sessions. LOL Oh and some more wins, I didn't have to build all those frames for the acoustic panels. I just cut the material to size and stuff it in the window opening, I don't really have any interest in seeing or hearing the neighbors on either side, and no one on the outside can see the $ investment I have on gear inside. Lastly, I don't have to try and explain to a OL why I'm doing all this. Life and God is good.
I did a lot of homework on the material, etc; but I wasn't really able to use any science in the best placement spots and so on. I just had to place it where I could. The material is
2" thick Roxul Rockboard 60 Mineral Wool Board. Fairly pricey with the shipping but it is a great product, for this use I don't believe you can find better unless you get the 3" thick version. For visual improvement I'm putting up some acoustically transparent sheer drapery panels in front of them. I can still see the Rockboard thru it but it doesn't bother me and if you use something that's less transparent the sound panels won't do their job as well.
I can't offer any measurements on it's effectiveness but can throw in some terribly subjective comments. First it lowered the rooms background noise a lot, blocking the outside noise from traffic, etc; from coming thru the very cheap single pane windows my unit has installed. I had been thinking about putting new windows in but this insulating material will for sure lower my heating/cooling costs more than any thermopane glass ever could. (another big win)
As to the change in my systems sound, I'm pleased in the extreme. I can't detail out the how's and why's but I'll guess that the lowering of reflections in the mid and upper frequency's throughout the room has given me what I can only attribute to a major increase in inner detail.. Just like turning the focus wheel on a camera or binoculars, background music details sharpened into a much clearer focus. Also due to the badly non-symmetrical design of my room (a wall down the left side, open floor-plan to the kitchen on the right, there was always a somewhat wonky factor to my imaging with the image mostly not going beyond the left side wall but the right side showing considerable depth.. This weird upset of the image is mostly gone with all the treatment that has been installed along the left wall.
I will concede that what I'm hearing could be 100% bias induced, but if it is that's just fine. The $500 I invested in materials, new draperies, etc; is more than worth the improvements I've experienced. I don't remember this small a $ number returning this large an improvement in the past.
Let the flames begin.
More to come.
