Do they really help that much and how should they be arranged? I watched this recently posted YouTube video and it really piqued my interest on the subject. I know every listening environment is different so please post some pics if you can, thanks!
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Who Is Using Acoustic Panels?
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I have used something like them. I mounted two office cubicle 2.5" x 3 foot by 6 foot wall panel dividers behind my head on the wall and the imaging improved and the top end was great. A cheap and easy method. They are expensive new. I got mine at a auction for very little.
AudioSQ
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I find that people typically state they make a significant difference. I have six 2'x4' panels on my back wall. Four of them are 2" thick and the two in the corners are 6" thick. I also have two homemade ones that are a little bigger and I guess about 4" thick. I don't really know how good they are compared to the ones I bought. I move those two around a lot. I definitely got rid of the echo I used to hear when I clapped. I can tell a slight difference when listening to music but it's not as significant as I believed it would be.
If I removed them all maybe I would appreciate what they do after hearing the room without them, but in general I'm disappointed. Maybe my ears just aren't so golden.
If I removed them all maybe I would appreciate what they do after hearing the room without them, but in general I'm disappointed. Maybe my ears just aren't so golden.
dshreter
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I use them, a combination of standard panels and bass traps. The usefulness really depends on the room, your goals, and preferences though. In a room with a lot of hard surfaces it can go a very long way to tame the environment.
I’m aware that some of the research out there points to non-professional listeners preferring side wall reflections, and that it makes for a more expansive sound stage. For me, I prefer the additional clarity provided by absorption even if it does sound smaller. It also reduces the noise floor (the room stays quieter).
I’m aware that some of the research out there points to non-professional listeners preferring side wall reflections, and that it makes for a more expansive sound stage. For me, I prefer the additional clarity provided by absorption even if it does sound smaller. It also reduces the noise floor (the room stays quieter).
dshreter
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Also, I’ve generally followed the advice from https://www.gikacoustics.com/
I have panels at all first reflections, with a bass trap overhead and on the back wall for my 2.1 system.
I have panels at all first reflections, with a bass trap overhead and on the back wall for my 2.1 system.
MRC01
Major Contributor
Do you mean panels specifically, or more generally other acoustic treatments like bass traps, tube traps, resonators and diffusers?
They can all make a big difference in the sound, easily audible and measurable. Like the differences between different speakers. No hair splitting or golden ears needed.
With treatments, that difference can be good or bad, depending how what kind and how you use them. Some kinds of room issues (like deep nulls) resist DSP/EQ and can be solved only with room treatments. One must do a bit of study on the different kinds of treatments, how they work, what to use them for, how/where to place them, how many you need, or how much area of the room they must cover. They are expensive, but worth the money because they make such a big difference. However, you can build some of them yourself, like tube traps and bass traps. Generally speaking, my room tuning approach is to do as much as I can with treatments, solving the biggest issues, then use DSP for the smaller remaining issues.
PS: to answer your question, some of the treatments my room has: RPG acoustic foam, home-made tube traps, GIK bass resonators, and RealTraps bass traps.
They can all make a big difference in the sound, easily audible and measurable. Like the differences between different speakers. No hair splitting or golden ears needed.
With treatments, that difference can be good or bad, depending how what kind and how you use them. Some kinds of room issues (like deep nulls) resist DSP/EQ and can be solved only with room treatments. One must do a bit of study on the different kinds of treatments, how they work, what to use them for, how/where to place them, how many you need, or how much area of the room they must cover. They are expensive, but worth the money because they make such a big difference. However, you can build some of them yourself, like tube traps and bass traps. Generally speaking, my room tuning approach is to do as much as I can with treatments, solving the biggest issues, then use DSP for the smaller remaining issues.
PS: to answer your question, some of the treatments my room has: RPG acoustic foam, home-made tube traps, GIK bass resonators, and RealTraps bass traps.
I use a combination of absorber panel's (Basotect foam , 8 panels between 5-10cm thick) and I have hybrid diffuser absorber panel's behind my loudspeakers.
Made a huge difference. Sometimes it makes sense to just put 500 bucks into room treatment instead of looking at a more expensive DAC or more powerful amplifier.
Made a huge difference. Sometimes it makes sense to just put 500 bucks into room treatment instead of looking at a more expensive DAC or more powerful amplifier.
I use them in my small box like atic room. Actually, it's two small boxes connected via a wide short corridor - almost a perfect resonator!
Adding acoustic tiles to take out the high frequency first side reflections was the biggest single improvement to my system I have ever made. It just opened up the stereo image which was not something I had expected.
I have not AB tested it as they are glued on. I know others views on doing this differ.
The rest including 10 base traps improved the measurements significantly but had much less audible effect.
Regards Andrew
Adding acoustic tiles to take out the high frequency first side reflections was the biggest single improvement to my system I have ever made. It just opened up the stereo image which was not something I had expected.
I have not AB tested it as they are glued on. I know others views on doing this differ.
The rest including 10 base traps improved the measurements significantly but had much less audible effect.
Regards Andrew
I use Auralex 2" Studio wedges (sound absorption) on the first reflections on the side walls and a bit of slap echo. in my old theatre room (different house) which was about 15"w x 22' L and 7.5' high, the image did improve. I used the same panels and speakers in my new theatre room about 13'w x 30' L and 7.5'H. The new theatre sounds much more on the dead side at the two rows of three chair listening postion(s). I suspect because of the much close proximity of the side walls / absorption to the ear. I also built the new room so it is soundproofed (green glue, double 5/8" drywall, channel hat, thick door and seals, HVAC etc). Lastly, I do recall reading or seeing a video from the esteemed Dr Floyd Toole where he said sound absorption is a waste of money as you are removing sound energy from the "speaker"
It depends a lot on the speakers. In a smallish room, to kill early reflections, I think most people would get a lot out of them.
In a big room, QRDs might be a better choice.
Sound absorbers change the tonality of a speaker since they eat high frequencies but can't do anything to bass.
In a big room, QRDs might be a better choice.
Sound absorbers change the tonality of a speaker since they eat high frequencies but can't do anything to bass.
Ultimately that depends on thickness, GFR of the material used, and their location. Absorbers can deal with bass given the right material and enough thickness, just not sub-bass.
This depends on whether you're trying to break up an echo (diffusers) or trying to bring reverb times down (absorbers).
I use them. I have 12 2'x4' panels in my studio room and am looking at more.
Conventional panel absorbers made with 703 or rockwool or whatever will absorb high frequency energy and do very little to bass.
I don't have an opinion about bass traps.
MRC01
Major Contributor
Regarding bass treatment, it's true that simple panel absorbers are ineffective. But resonators and traps can be quite effective even at very low frequencies. Before/after measurements (REW frequency sweeps) showed that my home-built tube traps made a 7 dB difference at 40 Hz.
I think all of the data I have ever seen about resonators/bass traps and so on come from a) one point in space or b) a company that sells bass traps.
I would love to see your measurements if they are spatially averaged.
Same goes for the thickness and placement of conventional absorbers - how thick does a panel absorber need to be to attenuate 50hz? Genuinely curious - I've seen some recommendations for panel locations, but haven't seen measurements.
mrsmith3676
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My fried put panels up in exchange for two klipch towers with busted woofers. So i have no idea because no before and after
MRC01
Major Contributor
The tube traps I made are 21-24" in diameter and 7' tall (floor to ceiling), using 1.5" fiberglass. Measured in REW from the listener position, before (no tube traps in room) and after (tube traps in rear corners). Here's the graph, dotted line is "before". You can see they made a big difference from 60 Hz and below.
So these measurements are from one point in space? Same point for both measurements?
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