Acoustic Treatments


I need some opinions on the above, my listening room is a partially finished basement with floor joists for a ceiling but the front wall behind the speakers is finished. One side wall is framed out and the other is cement with insulation (foil side out). The side walls are 5 feet from the speakers. The system sounds pretty good in this room (I've had the same in 2 other rooms). I noticed a big improvement when I hang damping material on the front wall between the speaks like a wool blanket or oriental rug. Can I improve on that with RPG or Sonex or the like (I know it will look better). I know tuning the room is critical, I've just never had much luck or inclination to do so. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!
pops
Don't know why you wouldn't have had luck with it before. It's simple, you just damp first reflection points on every wall, and sometimes ceiling and floor. I enjoy ASC traps, and also use RPG and other foam. My basement is concrete also (not in there now, but need to go back in the next month or so). You really do need carpeting on the floor, though, cause you'd really have an echo chamber without it.........I wonder why so many guys are reluctant to do this; it's not as if an untreated room does anything but mask what's on the recording anyway.
I recently bought several different materials for treating my listening room (which is also my living room) from a marine supply company in Seattle. They have a number of different materials including Sonex, DexDamp, and various thicknesses of fiber glass with an inert damping barrier sandwiched between the layers. The name of the company is Hamilton Jet, and the sound proofing materials they carry are outstanding. I suggest you browse their Web site and call them if you have any questions. The Web site address is: www.hamiltonjet.com I bought one of the materials called Sonolead and mounted in on Masonite pegboard panels, and then covered the panel with an attractive fabric. The panels can be hung or leaned against the wall. There is a variation of the Sonolead inert barrier which is sandwiched between two acoustic foam layers. This is much lighter, and can be mounted using nails or screws. I also bought a number of sheets of DexDamp 432 which is a constrained layer damping material that is excellent on resonant surfaces, such as wood and metal panels, glass, etc. I used DexDamp extensively thoughout my car to reduce interior noise levels, and the improvement was dramatic. Anyway, check out Hamilton Jet. Best regards, Scott C-
I'd read F. Alton Everest, "Sound Studio Construction on a Budget" before I did anything. Among RPG products, Skyline diffusors are relatively affordable and very effective on back wall (behind listener) or front wall. (Side walls I haven't tried.) Earlier advice sounds good to me, but for a comprehensive grasp of your situation, do read Everest.