I'm investigating the acoustics of my room. I have been doing REW scans and analyzing them with the help of a member here. I've played with sub and speaker positioning and settings to see how this affects measurement and what it sounds like. I've reached out to GIK Acoustics to get their advice.
But, because I wanted to just try some experiments before (possibly) spending a lot with GIK and/or other companies, I bought 6 OC 703 panels (2" x 24" x 48") to try, temporarily around my room, singly or in combination. I might even make my own panels if that seems worthwhile.
My question is: What are some useful experiments to do with the panels and where in the measurements might I see some changes?
Again, this is not to replace getting expert help; this is a way for me to start to learn by interactive experience how my room is affecting the sound. So, good things to try?
@edunbar and @tazz2 Thanks -- I will go take a look. I've watched a lot of videos about acoustics and treatments but perhaps there will be something additional here to learn.
@corelli I'll consider suspending the panels. Once a 2" panel is suspended down 4" from a 6'5" ceiling, it is now at about 5' 11 inches from the ground and just about low enough for someone to bump with their head. But I think that this is at least a temporary experiment that will bear fruit. And maybe even an 1" off the ceiling would be good.
@slaw 2 inch spacers sounds like the easier way to get corelli's suggestion implemented. Thanks.
@optimize Thanks for the suggestion. I've played test tones and walked around the room your suggestion about the panels in a sack is interesting. I'll try that. I'll just thank you now, if that's ok.
@riley804 I have not tried the stereo where the bed is (in this room, it's impossible) but I have tried putting the stereo at the opposite end of the room, in other words, on the short wall. It is not as good. Still, I have not tried it with treatments. That's a good experiment.
@hilde45 looking at the drawing of your room, have you thought about making some changes? have or can you put the stereo where the bed is and then you could put the couch where the door of the bed is and the bed could go where the couch or stereo was? with the stereo where the bed is, you would have side walls and if you had panels left over could put them on stands and have them behind the couch.
Ditto on the "edunbar" post... If your serious about learning; treating; and getting the BEST acoustic results in your room...acousticfields.com.(Dennis Foley). This is the 'WAKE-UP CALL'...You will soon realize nothing else comes close !
I had swaped places with the stereo and the bed. To get a left and right symmetry.
I had swaped places with the stereo and the bed. To get a left and right symmetry.
The method you can use: bass is the most problematic one. And bass is more of a pressure thing. So you have measured your room. You know that you have a peak at for example 73 hz. Take REW signal generator and generate/play back trough your system 73Hz. Take a sound pressure meter (dB meter) and put it everywhere (corners, along walls and so on) and note down what the pressure is.
Take your isolation put it that in those brown/gray sacks that you can breath trough that Santa Claus use. (That goes nice with your bricks, gets a industrial look ;) or as Xmas decoration.
Put the sacks at the positions that you noted had the highest pressure.
This might take more effort but if you ceiling is low, it may be tempting to suspend several panels off reflection points on your ceiling. I would suggest hanging them 4-6" off the ceiling. Any panel will work more efficiently if you allow space behind it.
@mitch2 — thanks for those tips. I probably will want to use these for something more than room pads, because like many, I'm not so handy that I will be able to finish these into something long-term good looking.
@tvad Good suggestion. I hadn't thought of subtracting and then adding back in. That would create a mix of diffusion and absorption I don't have there now.
@riley804 I have read about isolation a lot, but, first, my stuff was on a really solid and low coffee table and then I moved it off to the side. I figured I would sort out the room before the isolation. The speaker stands are new and very solid. Perhaps you'd do isolation first?
@slaw Thanks for the reference. I'll check into coverings. I really need to see if my 20hz - 300hz range is dialed in before doing too much more with the upper frequencies (using my OC 703); so that's why I call what I'm doing now just "playing."
I bought several from www.readyacoustics.com. years ago. In my small room, I now use only two (doubled @ 4" thick that I modified with several holes @different sizes) directly behind my speakers with the tweeter in aligned at the center of the panels.
It's easy to overdamp with these.
I believe Ready Acoustics will sell you coverings?
“Let me just stress that I’m not asking for advice (yet) about how to fix my room, but rather experiments to try.”
it’s your room and you are the one that has to play around with placement. it can be fun / interesting to hear how the sound changes while moving panels around.
really surprised as much as you are on the forums that you don’t have the equipment on anything (isolation).
If you end up with extra, two other uses to consider are
to construct bass traps, and
to construct decoupling footers
I suspect A/V Room Service, Ltd. uses Owens Corning board to construct these, but probably uses the denser 705 for supporting heavier equipment and speakers
This is going to be uncomfortable. Starting at your feet, wrap the Corning insulation round and round your body, slowly working your way up. It's best to lay down for this procedure, and don't forget to wear a mask. Also, it is very important to set your CD player to 'repeat', as the best that you can do after completing the procedure, is to set with you back up against the couch and listen. One last note: It is a good idea to take several doses of Benadryl about 20 minutes before starting this wonderful experiment.
Here’s a 1st report: 6 OC 703 panels placed at various places.
(a) Placed on first reflection on floor, immediately under ceiling reflection spots. Had noticeable reduction of harsh upper mids and treble. Even better on some tracks with two panels.
(b) Placed along front wall between speakers, mostly, four panels. Vocal tracks which were already located in the center became much more focused. E.g. When before I was listening to “a singer” in front of me, now I was hearing the vocals from “a singer’s head.” So much better localization.
(c) Placed on rear wall -- which is a bookcase with books pulled out at various degrees -- there was very little change I could hear.
So far so good. Didn’t try to measure, just listened.
Thank you all. I've done the mirror test and have no sidewall first reflection points that are closer than 15 feet. My listening seat is about 8 feet from the speakers.
I mainly want to listen. I am doing measurements, too, in order to see if I can establish correlations between the graph and what I hear. Naturally, the decisive element is to go by what I hear, but so far doing measurements has guided some changes in my room that sound better. So, for me at least, measurements are helping.
You don't need no measurements and in fact unless you really know what you're doing are probably about as likely to make things worse as better. Your ears are all you really need. Because, think about it, if you do something per measurement and it sounds worse are you going to force yourself to live with it because, measurement? Or are you going to go by what sounds best? Your call. Think about it.
Especially since if you look at the absorption specs for your panels (OC has a spec sheet) you will see they really only work at midrange and treble. Which you can easily hear. So have no need for measurement anyway.
Simply experiment with your panels just like I did. They are light enough to be held temporarily with simple pins. That is how mine were. You can try full panels but they cut easily by hand with a razor blade or knife. One simple test is to stand different places in the room and clap. Listen for the decay. It should be smooth and even. If you hear flutter echo then you know to treat one or both parallel walls in that area.
Two reflections that tend to be worst for smearing imaging are the side and front walls. On the sides there is the first side wall reflection where the left speaker bounces off the left wall, and there is also another one where the right speaker bounces off the left wall. Also you might want to check out the Decware site where he has a very interesting analysis that explains why corner treatment as I have done is so effective.
Keep in mind that at this point you already have more than enough material to do your whole room. More than enough. All you need now is to figure out where it goes, and then find some nice fabric to wrap it in.
Fabric needs to be as acoustically transparent as possible, or it will actually reflect and not allow the OC703 material to do its thing.
I would start with the brick wall behind the speakers, then ceiling reflections. Make sure your wrap the panels. You do not want to be breathing fiber glass.
I have no side reflection points to worry about but I have a low ceiling. I have a concrete floor but it has both wall to wall carpet, thin, and area rugs on top of that. Bookshelves line the back wall and I've arranged the books to help diffuse. Front wall is brick.
Let me just stress that I'm not asking for advice (yet) about how to fix my room, but rather experiments to try.
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
