Auralex has some good solutions too.
how can I make the back wall transparent?
If this is the wrong place for this topic please move it
My listening room is 11.5 x 15 and my speakers are 3.5 ft from the back wall.
I have spent considerable effort tweaking stuff, to the point where the system sounds very spacious and deep, BUT it still does not sound as spacious as systems with 6-8 ft of free space behind the speakers.
Is there any aesthetically pleasing wall treatment available that would give me that depth without moving the speakers
Taking the wall down is not an option:-)
My listening room is 11.5 x 15 and my speakers are 3.5 ft from the back wall.
I have spent considerable effort tweaking stuff, to the point where the system sounds very spacious and deep, BUT it still does not sound as spacious as systems with 6-8 ft of free space behind the speakers.
Is there any aesthetically pleasing wall treatment available that would give me that depth without moving the speakers
Taking the wall down is not an option:-)
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Many thanks, williewonka, I appreciate you sharing your research. I did not realize that vinyl could absorb sound waves. I've seen some types of acoustic curtains, as one of your links points out, they are made of fabric with a vinyl layer. But what is interesting to me is a roll of MVL and using it at the top of the wall where it meets the ceiling. I have a tapestry on the wall behind my listening position and a vertical acoustic panel to right of it in the corner. The only problem is making this vinyl strip look aesthetically acceptable. I was also wondering if I could use vinyl as a type of crown moulding behind me. |
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LR57 - RE: "I was also wondering if I could use vinyl as a type of crown moulding behind me." Do you mean the hard vinyl crown moulding? I think Hard vinyl will probably scatter sound waves - a type of dispersion - but that could also be beneficial. Wood may be better though. I also wondered if crown moulding could be effective - if you try it let us all know please I have seen polystyrene crown moulding, which may react similar to vinyl given it's elastic properties? After all, polystyrene is used for soundproofing also. I also looked up some acoustic specialist sites and one recommend "treating" the ceiling corners of the room first, then move down the vertical corners of the room and lastly, if there was still an issue, look at wall panels - but they were using acoustic foam to treat a home recording studio. They did caution about using too much treatment, which can deaden the entire room and make the presentation quite dull. I guess the profile of the crown moulding (concave vs convex) also plays a role ?
Another material - I just remembered a wall treatment my father used (in the UK) primarily for heating/insulation purposes - Polystyrene wall insulation (similar to wall paper). You use a paste to bond it to the wall just like wall paper - it's available on the web - e.g. http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/homebaseuk/warmaline-wall-veneer---914-x-500mm-072492 You could then paper over it with a textured wall paper - like... https://www.grahambrown.com/uk/product/18500/brush And then paint to match the rest of the room - practically invisible! And you've treated the entire wall, but it's more work than one piece of crown moulding. A little crazy I know, but then - what about this hobby is NOT crazy :-) Regards... |
OK - the roller blind is now installed! There are two kinds of vinyl that can be selected for the blind I purchased...
I purchased the dual colour and the size was 92" x 78". The original sheet I tried was 72" x 24 and was at least twice the thickness of the vinyl on the roller blind I purchased. Both were mounted about 1" from the ceiling. Since I was pretty familiar with the sound of the room with the 72 x 24 sheet in position, I set the roller blind to drop down around the 24" mark
Perhaps the extra width of the roller blind provided some additional benefits, but it appeared that when both blinds were set to 24" the thickness of the first piece of vinyl I tried did not appear to offer any additional benefits over the thinner vinyl on the roller blind - i.e. in my room at least. It would appear the vinyl is a pretty good material when it comes to absorbing sound waves. The roller blind works very well my room, since it covers the window behind my listening chair (framed with drapes on both sides) and looks very tidy when rolled up - very high on the WAF ! So that's it! - no plans for a remote controlled motorized option ;-) Hope you find it useful Regards... |
Nicely done, williewonka. Sounds like it matches the decor of the room as well. When I referred to a "type of crown moulding, " I was wondering if there was a way to use a strip of thick vinyl near the ceiling where typical crown moulding is always placed. That's an open area for high frequency wave reflection. I've been reading that MLV is used in sound proofing, and I need either absorption or diffusion. I may experiment with some fabric across the ceiling area first, just to see what it looks like. |
LR57 - As stated in an earlier post - selecting the right material is key - vinyl is definitely best for this purpose But I think I know where you are going with this :-) Take a look at my DIY Vinyl Crown Moulding - last component entry on my "System" https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/3760 I have not tried this, but I think it might work very well - especially with 1/8" MLV If MLV is too heavy you could used vinyl upholstery material - the ends may be an issue, but...
Let me know how it turns out. Regards... :-))) |
williewonka, that's the idea I had for an acoustic Crown Moulding. I was thinking of mounting a 2x4" length of wood as the foundation, and that's about as far as I got. I read that 1/8" MLV weighs 1 pound per sq. foot, then I googled "vinyl upholstery" and there are many options. I appreciate the photo and all the info you've provided. |
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