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Experience with HFTs

There was a very extensive discussion about Schumann Generators (SGs) over the past week and in some thread I saw a mention of HFTs.

Unlike SGs, HFTs appear to interact with the music in a room similar but opposite of Acoustic Panels purpose. I can’t really put those panels or bass traps in because of my room layout and these appear to be small, and not require electricity, but I can’t understand why I would put them on a speaker- the speaker company should have taken its own acoustic properties into account. Also how would you put them on a wall?

Can your please relay your experience with them positive or negative and what you purchased and total investment? Synergistic Research appears to be a leader with these things. Always looking for ways to improve the sound without breaking the bank.
sokogear

Showing 2 responses by sns

sns
3,003 posts
 
I use a few in conjunction with other room treatments. After much experimentation I've settled on six being optimum for my room. I use three on each side of room, perhaps five feet behind listening chair, spread out evenly from top to bottom. I've also tried them at many different locations, didn't work for me. In location I have them add sense of greater spaciousness of room, when in fact my dedicated listening room is already fairly deep, that being 25' length, then opening into kitchen. I don't like them anywhere close to speakers, mids sound less natural, more tipped up. Also, don't like them centered anywhere in room, pulls soundstage unnaturally  forward. I prefer judicious use of these along with other diffusion products, in my case, RPG Skylines cut into quarters placed at first reflection points. More subtle than the HFT's here.
sns
3,003 posts
 
Actually, I heard greater effect with HFT vs. RPG diffuser. What I don't like about HFT close to speaker is it alters tonality/timbre far more than RPG. Synergistic admits as much since they offer another HFT thingie they claim warmer sounding. Also, HFT have excessive reflective effect for me, bounce sound waves around room in excessively uncontrolled manner vs. RPG, RPG  has slight absorptive effect. Plus, I cut the RPG's into fours and spread them around my room, one large one near speakers allows unnatural effect for me as well. I do like the HFT behind my listening position, not affecting tonality/timbre here nearly as much, not close to speakers. And I did try multiples of the six HFT I presently use, many different positions, did not care for effect anywhere else.
What I've found over many years of experimenting with room treatments is there is a point where you can have too much. I've been there, done that, backed off to point of too little, back up to just right. I personally try to get by with minimal amount, artificial manipulation of sound staging and imaging just sounds artificial to me. I want proper ratio of width, height and depth, most importantly I want decays and attacks to sound like they sound in real life. Some amount of natural room sound is best for me.
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