Room accoustics problem - Auralex accoustic foam?

[karelm]

Hello,

I am planning to add some acoustic absorbtion panels to help with my stereo systems sound quality. I am looking for a precise sound without too much room verb/echo.

The room I have is 18 feet long x 13 feet wide with 8 foot ceiling. I have two large speakers sitting about 9 feet from my couch and 1 feet from the back wall. One wall is a floor to ceiling window and the opposite wall area is the kitchen so I can really treat only these two areas. I can treat the area infront of the speakers (behind my sitting area) and behind the speakers.

The item I am looking into is Auralex Elite B24 and I was curious if you thought this would work for my needs? I mostly listen to music instead of home theater but am looking for a precise sound. How would 6 of these panels work for me? Any suggestions on where I should put them? I am thinking of 3 behind my sitting area and 3 behind the speakers so they are on opposite walls. Remember one wall is the window and the opposite wall is open to the kitchen.

Thanks,
Karim

[David Meek]

That's a tough one for setting up an accurate, precise soundfield. Regardless though, IMO, the Auralex panels are good choices.

Putting a panel directly behind each main speaker is good, and putting panels behind your listening position can be helpful also. I'm not so sure a third panel (between the speakers?) is going to give you much, but if you've got the budget, or the dealer has a good return policy, why not? I'd test with the panels behind you before mounting them permanently. It's generally a good practice, but I'm a firm believer in not over-damping a room - anechoic chambers aren't the best listening environments.

Now, having windows - just about the most reflective surface you can get in a house - on the one side wall can be helped a good bit with moderate to heavy drapes or curtains to act as positionable absorption panels, but having a void on the other side is very problematic in trying to balance the soundstage. Are you open to mounting a panel on a stand?

[karelm]

David,

Thanks for the information. I have attached a diagram of my living room and where I intend to put the accoustic panels. They are that strange brown/gold color items directly behind the speakers and couch. Can you give me any feedback on the placement I am intending because I'll semi-permanently mount them there. Do you think I should get a bass trap? The speaker on the left is noticably louder on the bass (not just because of the subwoofer) even though I've bumped up the balance on the right speaker a notch or two.

Thanks very much,
Karim

[BlazeMaster]

Karim, your room isn't exactly perfect as far as symmetry, I'd doubt you'll hear much improvement with the Auralex added in there. How about a suggestions, but it might not sit well with WAF. How bout trying turing your mains to where the floor to ceiling windows are and then sit opposite to that? It'll make it so you're not sitting too close to any of the room boudaries and then you can get the type of acoustic panels on a stand that David Meek suggested. RealTraps makes theirs on a stand...heard good things about them as well. Good luck.

[karelm]

I thought about having the speakers facing the long side (speakers near windows and facing the kitchen) but that would pretty much make me lose all natural light and window view.

It sounds like I have two seperate problems:
1.) Tight area causes slap flutter/reverb and poor audio definition.
2.) Off balance room (windows on one side reflect sound too much but open area on the other side of the room doesn't reflect at all).

Is that an accurate assessment of my problems?
For #1, the accoustic foam should help by absorbing the sound bouncing off walls and in essence making my room sound less confined.
For #2, can a bass trap help with the balance issue? What if I put a bass trap near the windows plus some curtains to absorb the window bounce and then offset the balance of the stereo so the right speaker is slightly boosted to compensate for the lack of wall on the other side.

I am looking for a balance between audiophile accoustics and nice looking living room environment which is why I like the Auralex B24 (they will look nice on the wall).

David also mentions I should put a sound absorbtion panel behind the speakers but not much value in having one in the middle between the two speakers). Should I instead have 4 panels opposite the speakers and two behind the speakers?

Sorry for so many questions, I am trying to get a crash course in acoustics.

Thank you
Karim

[Snap]

Karlem,
If you send the room info to Aurelex they will ask you a series of questions. The first and most important is MONEY! But if you tell them I have _____ ammount of money they will design your stuff as best that they can with that ammount of money. If you tell them "Just make it right" They they will give you a compleate set up. To include type of panel, size, were to mount it etc.

Also they will give you some software (provided you have a flat mic and equipment) but you run thier sound disk through your system. Recording the sounds using a flat response mic and they will check out your room after you have installed the sound stuff, and tell you were to move or add addition absorbtion.

Either way they are a great company and I would definatly recomend that you send them your room specs and let them know what you are wanting to do with the room.

They are a very good company to deal with. :T

[karelm]

Hi Snap,

I did fax them my room diagram about a week ago. How long does it take to hear back from them? Unfortunately I indicated my price range was $500 to $1000. Maybe I should say $100,000 to get a faster response? :W

Thanks
Karim

[BlazeMaster]

yea..they don't really respond to people with lower budgets...

[basementjack]

You might also check with www.soundwalls.net, they have a fabric panel system that looks very nice and has hundreds of fabric choices.

As far as your room goes, I agree that your best chance of good sound is to put the speakers in front of the windows.

I think you owe it to yourself to try them there.

[Snap]

Hi Snap,

I did fax them my room diagram about a week ago. How long does it take to hear back from them? Unfortunately I indicated my price range was $500 to $1000. Maybe I should say $100,000 to get a faster response? :W

Thanks
Karim

humm....that is odd.

Try these cats, they might be able to help you out.

http://www.acousticsfirst.com/

:scratchhead: That is really weird about the fax. I would call them, and let them know that you are faxing something .

Something that you can do with the foam type stuff, (the foam that you wrap with the cloth yourself. That is very inexpensive by the way). Put an 1/8 sheet of wood on the back. Then when you hang it on the wall put like hockey pucks or cut some PVC pipe. ( You are just making some spacers) and it will push the panel off the wall about 2 inches. That makes a great bass trap, and helps with some of the LFE.

I will see if I can find some pix of what I am talking about.

By they way the Auralex foam rapped in fabric is like 30 bucks a yard.

Also there is a new thing from Auralex that is 2x2 and it is about 250 a panel.

http://www.auralex.com/acoustic_foam_sonoflat/acoustic_foam_sonoflat.asp

Good luck,
Snap

[Snap]

I just noticed your pix for your room. I would agree that you are not going to get much help from the treatments. I think Blaze said that. The most that you could do is put some strips in between the windows if there is the space. ( use the foam that you can cut.) And something on the back wall behind the sofa. Definaly use the spacers if you can to suck up some of that bass banging back off the back wall.

But that is all I THINK you can do. But then again, I am by NO MEANS the acustical expert on the matter.

PS: sound is going to have a field day with the glass!