Gotham Quadratic Diffusers

I got tired of climbing up on my equipment rack to take down or reinstall the diffusers. Eventually ,I would probably drop one ,take a tumble or both. I wanted to be able to slide them out of the way. Barn door sliders wouldn’t work due to the ductwork on the wall. Pocket door hardware would work but I needed hardware that I was confident that would support the load. Amazon has Jubest pocket door hardware and the commercial grade will support up to 220 pounds compared to something like 74 on the regular. I ordered two 5 foot sets. I used Spax 2 1/2 inch multi-purpose construction screws to secure the rails to the studs. I purchased the screws at Lowe’s. You will have to do a little drilling of the rails to properly attach them to the ceiling. You do not want to attach the rails to the drywall only as this could result in a disaster.On the outside of each rail I installed a cotter pin so the units won’t roll off. I also purchased two 8 foot 4 inch by 1 inch pine boards again obtained from Lowe’s. I cut these in half and used the two pieces to secure 2 stacked diffusers using the Spax screws. I spray painted everything and installed the rollers at the top of the boards. Once this was done, I slid the completed units into the tracks. I would recommend help with this install if you can get it as the rollers rotate freely and an extra pair of hands would make installation much easier.

I have posted a couple of pictures on my system page for those who may be interested on how the project turned out. Also, I will gladly answer any questions.

Hello @lwin 

No I didn’t get any break on the shipping. It cost me $456.50 to ship the 2 boxes to me. Outrageous shipping costs but I really wanted this type of diffuser for a very long time. Shipping cost are the main reason I don’t have a lot of new toys. I have been buying my latest acoustic panel’s from Amazon. I get kinda free shipping as a prime member. No matter how big the shipping box is.

I have thought of painting, staining or sealing them. I’m not sure how your diffusers arrived but mine had the overwhelming smell of freshly cut wood. I purchased therm at the end of May. It has taken over 3 months for the smell of freshly cut wood to diminish. I have been running an air purifier in my room almost 24 hours a day to help get the smell to calm down. I thought that the diffusers were made out of aged air dried wood but this was not the case. I hope they don’t warp or crack as they dry out more. 
Joe Nies

Hi Joe hopefully the shipping was less than you expected. Give the diffusers some time as they don’t need a break in but your ears might take a little time to adjust to what they are doing. Are you going to paint them ?

Greetings 

Well I finally sucked it up and purchased 4 of the Quads. I really like how they look. They work a bit better than the Slot Diffuser/Absorption that were behind my speakers. I waited too many years to get this type of diffuser and I think that’s why I was a bit disappointed. 
I agree with @lwin about the mounting brackets that the Quads come with. They seem to small to hang them. I installed L brackets on the Quads and then secured them to the 6 inch shelf that runs along my walls. They will not fall? I think they weigh about 20 pounds each? I posted pictures on my virtual system.

Be careful if you hang them. They will cause damage if they fall as @lwin has described above.

Joe Nies

Hi Ozzy I am a trial and error guy when it comes to room acoustics. I have heard pros and cons about placing diffusers behind planars. GIK Acoustics could provide much better information. Personally ,once you get them dialed in and there are no sound gremlins, I would probably go with what you have in place.

I installed mine because the large tv behind the speakers was was worse than the flat wall because it was tilted slightly down affecting the stereo image as well as affecting sound quality. 

Iwin,

Do you think the diffusors would work well behind Planar speakers?

ozzy

Last week I added two more Quadratic Diffusers with disastrous results. All six of the shelf’s 40 pound rated dry wall anchors pulled out of the wall. Unfortunately ,my preamp was damaged. To prevent this from happening again , I added a third shelf bracket and using 9 six inch bolts secured them to the studs behind them. As an additional precaution to hold the diffusers securely in place, I used a combination of 75 pound rated picture wire , 4 carabiners and 5 six inch eyebolts. The piano wire is in a crossing pattern and the carabiners are attached to picture wire strung above the television attached to two eyebolts. The carabiners are so I can quickly take down the diffusers to watch the television. Yea it is a little bit of work to install and remove the diffusers but it is sonically worth it. I have posted a couple of pictures of my installation on my virtual systems page.

For those of you who are going to mount these directly to the wall I would not use the tiny screws included with the mounting bracket.

@benzman very nice room and system. Yes I think one row across would produce some nice results for you. As  Joe Niels suggested I would contact GIK for a free consultation. 

That was my next stop since the rest of my acoustic treatments are GIK. Just thought I'd ask here too.

@christianb5s4 Contact GIK they can probably make the diffusers any size you want. They also offer free consultation.

Joe Nies

I'm also looking to do the same thing under my TV, but need something more narrow since I'm limited by the distance between the TV and crown molding.

Wonder if there are any other quadratic diffusers anyone is aware of that are more rectangular than square?

@benzman Yes they will help. I suggest you put 2 under TV and 1 on each side of the TV. The one’s under the TV try leaving 6 to 12 inches between them. 
I’m a firm believer in how helpful acoustic materials can improve a room.

Joe Nies

So I would like to do this same thing with 4 across under my tv and above my equipment. I have no treatments at all. Please take a look at my system and tell me if you think I would benefit with the 1 row across. 
thanks. 

Have all ceilings and walls treated. Using different absorption and diffusion methods. Also have tube bass traps. 
The Quad diffuser can give you the illusion of a bigger room. First time I heard and saw one it was very impressive.

I eventually will purchase a pair to put the finishing touch on my room acoustics.

Joe Nies

Don't forget to treat your ceiling. :)

I’ll just have to suck it up. That’s what shipping costs are up here in Alaska.

When I shipped my Aesthetic I/O to get upgraded my shipping cost was a little over $1200.00, for both ways. Outrageous. If I want something that’s what it costs.

‘Joe Nies

Hi Joe: Ouch, I would also have canceled the order. You might want to try again. I live in Maine and I think the shipping came to somewhere around $35 . The Gothams are smaller than some of their prior diffusers. You can always place them in the cart and see what the shipping is before tapping the buy button. With the 10% discount I paid a little less than $400 for a pair.

Greetings,

 I’m glad you had positive results with the Quad Diffuser’s. 
I have wanted a pair for many years.

I ordered a pair from GIK a few months ago. I was hesitant about shipping costs. I placed my order and it showed that shipping cost was $25.00.. I was very happy with that price. A week later I received a message from them stating there was a problem with my order. The shipping cost was Not $25.00 it was $228.25….

I was shocked. I kinda knew that $25 was to good to be true. So I cancelled my order. I should have just sucked it up and paid the shipping. I probably will order a set in the near future. It’s the last item I need for my room.

 I live in Anchorage Alaska, so everything costs more. It’s a pet peeve of mine what shipping charges are up here. 
Enjoy your diffusers. I hope to enjoy mine soon, maybe, most likely.

Joe Nies