What's the most affordable sound treatment?

[Pancreas]

Most of the stuff sold online is overpriced for what it is, where is literally just cheap MDF wood with a cloth on it, but they charge hundreds.

I received sound treatment advice from GikAcoustics for 13x13 room, where I need more bass traps than anything else. To sound treat it as they recommended, would be $1590. I think it was overdone, but maybe I can start with a couple of bass traps and expand with time.

GikAcoustic is cool but pricey. Here is what they recommended

2 -4” Impression Series Bass Trap Diffusor/Absorber (Square) @ $84.00 on the front wall, one on each side of the TV (if they'll fit?)
4 -244 Bass Trap w/FRT (12"x48" Narrow) Full Range@ $72.50 one on the left side wall next to the desk and three between the closet and bathroom
4 -244 Bass Trap Full Range (24"x48" rectangle) @ $96.95 one on the wall next to the window and three on the ceiling midway between the speakers and the bed
3 -Ceiling Cloud Mounting Brackets @ $18 per set to mount the ceiling panels
4 -4” Impression Series Bass Trap Diffusor/Absorber (rectangle) @ $128.80 spread across the rear wall

$1415.00
$ 165.55 shipping to FL
$1586.06 Total

Is there a cheaper option to get similar items as recommended by Gik?

I'm mostly interested either the 12x48 or 24x48 bass traps. Most stuff I see online are diffusers or absorbers

 

[jeffaegrim]

Honestly, I’ve wondered the same thing for a while and my preliminary conclusion is that it’s best to DIY the panels by simply stuffing wooden frames with rock wool. Should be more effective as broadband treatment than store bought stuff as well, since you can make it as thick as you like (preferably at least 10-15cm thick)

Edit: sry, this obviously only applies to absorbers. I have few ideas on diffusion as the topic seems wildly complicated

 

[Waxx]

Making broadband absorbers is not that difficult, but they tend to get big and heavy. Especially if you want to make corner basstraps.

The Best (And Only) Insulation Material You Need For DIY Absorbers

Finding the right insulation material for your DIY acoustic absorbers is hard. How do you know it'll actually work? In fact, it only comes down to two numbers.

www.acousticsinsider.com

I would not use rockwhool of fiberglass today (i did in the past with good results) as they are icky to handle and make a lot of dust. I would use felt from recylced closthes like this:

Wool felt sold by the meter 10mm thick, 1.50m wide (solid 0.36 kg/cdm)

High-quality wool felt sold by the metre: 10mm thick, 1.50m wide. Durable, flexible and environmentally friendly. Order now for your industrial applications!

thefeltstore.eu

Make layers of that sheet, thick enough (16 to 20cm) in a wooden frame with rough woven cloth over it and you got your own acoustic panel. You can add a painting or an on cloth printed picture as cloth cover, that won't matter much and may be easier to sell to your family than a plan clothed frame.

For difussors there are also some easy to make diy designs like this one.

Sound Diffusers 101: Free Designs for DIY Diffuser Panels

DIY Sound Diffuser Blueprints—Free designs for optimized diffuser panels & fractal sound diffusers. Come download them and learn about acoustic diffusion!

arqen.com

These are working basic designs. You can go more into detail on this by studying acoustics. I learned a lot on the acoustics section of both DIYaudio.com and Gearspace.com. But If you just want to have acoustic treatment on the cheap, build those and study well where to use them in your room. You can fix most issues with those and a bit of dsp room correction if you know what you do.