GIK, Rives, Real Traps


I just moved into a new house. I set up the system in a room to be used just for the stereo system and it sounds no where near what it used to in the other house. Too much echo, loss of sound stage, imaging, etc. I haven't messed with speaker placement too much yet, but it is clear to me that I need some acoustic room treatment.
Seems like there are a lot of options out there. Not sure which way to proceed. I have a lot of money wrapped up in the system, so it's time to maximize the room acoustics also. Anyone have experience with these products? Any advice would be appreciated.
mikewen
Great advice so far. GIK and Real Traps are the real deal. (Pardon the pun.) Pop over to the acoustic circle on AudioCircle and you can usually converse directly with Ethan and Brian, as well as a few other acoustic dudes. If you aren't going for a completely dedicated room, I would offer that you might want get your furnishings in place first. You can get a long way with a couple of stuffed chairs in the room, breaking up walls with furniture, etc., and proper speaker placement for the room. Keep working on it, it may take some experimenting for a little while.
If the room is dedicated to audio, which to me means less furnishings, acoustic treatments are a necessity. Do go to AudioCircle and check url=http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?board=73.0]the Acoustic Circle.[/url] Very helpful people there.
Great advice! Thanks guys. I will pick up Jim Smith's book and have checked out audio circle. My room is "dedicated" in that it will be used for listening, and not much else. So not much furniture in there.
The room has an irregular shape, so I think I will need some expert help, (plus I'm too lazy to figure this out for myself.).
Rives seems to be more costly than the others. Do they provide a more comprehensive service? What is the main difference between them and the other two?
My experience with GIK has been great. Great customer service and reasonable prices. I sent them pictures of my room, and their suggestions have been spot on. They were also very patient with all of my questions. The GIK room treatments have made a HUGE improvement in sound quality and musical enjoyment.
Hi,
After watching Jim Smith's videos and reading his book, I'd say, hire him to do the job and be done and happy listening!