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How to make small room sound bigger

Is It possible to make a relatively small room sound larger ? I have a 14 x 11ft with 8 ft ceiling. The room is completely empty, with vinyl floors with cement floor under.  Looking into vicoustic sound treatments. 

What would be the best approach with absorption vs diffusion and placement to attain a bigger sound space if at all possible ? 

I wrote to vicoustics, but did not hear back. 

speakers : SF Elipsa, Diapason adamantes, Focal utopia micro

amps: mastersound 845, mcintosh mc452, NAD M10

 

ei001h

Showing 2 responses by erik_squires

erik_squires
15,874 posts
 

PS - You can use the room mode calculator here to see where your problems are going to be:

 

https://amcoustics.com/tools/amroc?l=14&w=11&h=8&ft=true&r60=0.6

 

The first 3 modes are excellent candidates for bass traps in the corners. The 70 Hz mode is now floor to ceiling and using narrow mondo traps horizontall at the floor and ceiling behind the speakers and listener help here. At 90 Hz and above you’ll want to have wall panels spread out but these are a lot easier to deal with (i.e. smaller traps) than the first modes.

Further, try to keep your subs out of the pressure zones of the modes below 80Hz.  Not possible for every mode, but if you can avoid 3 out of 4, it's a win.

erik_squires
15,874 posts
 

Dude, like half of my threads on Audiogon are about this. :D

I’d go to GIK, and use the room designer to ask them for help, but here are the gneeral principles:

  • Use the best bass traps you can afford/fit floor to ceiling and floor to floor. This is either corner traps or soffit trap up the walls, and mondo traps on the floor between them.
  • Use 244 absorbers in first reflection points.
  • Use combination absorber diffusion between the speakers and behind the listening location. Don’t forget the ceiling at first reflection area.
  • Directly to the sides of the speakers is a great place for diffusion. It can really help fill in the stereo image.
  • The smaller the room the thicker the panels you’ll want to use to compensate for lack of locations to put them in.
  • First reflection points matter, but only in combination with a full room treatment.  If all you do is place at these spots you will barely notice a difference.
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