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Need opinions on ceiling reflections

All,I have a soffit that is running length-wise on the LEFT side of the ceiling (picture in my system). The ceiling is 8' and the soffit part drops down about 1'. The speakers and sound panels are positioned with a precision of 1/8th of an inch and it sounds amazing - especially on the RIGHT side. The music appears to come from way back and way outside the RIGHT speaker and you can actually "look" that images of various instruments playing in those empty spaces. But I have a heard time "seeing" those images on the LEFT side speaker. I have a feeling that this issue happens because the reflection point on the left side ceiling is a foot lower than the one on the right side ceiling. I was planning of getting some acoustic foam and attach it to the ceiling using T-pins (since it is a textured ceiling and foam tapes will not work). I assumed that this will absorb the reflections and could work on restoring the proper timing/clarity on left side.

Could you guys weigh in and let me know your thoughts? Please feel free to let me know if I am off and the issue is completely different.
128x128milpai

Showing 7 responses by hilde45

hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
I would avoid foam. I bought OC 703 and covered in fabric to see how it would help. My ceilings are 6.5' so it helped a lot. 

Couple thoughts on your situation:

Visual symmetry and audio symmetry will differ. Be bold about experimenting with asymmetrical placement and toe in.

Try getting a sense of reflection differences with a calibrated string. Using this method, you will learn where the most damaging reflections are happening and this can guide both speaker placement and treatment placement. The crucial reflections are from about 4-10 ms or so, depending on your room's dimensions. Conquer them and your soundstage imaging will be made more definite and appropriately located.

Buy a measurement mic and download REW. Measure each side (L and R) independently. Look not just at frequency results but at the impulse responses. You should be able to see the differences in the room reflections. This is involved but doable and very effective. What you teach yourself will be useful for the future.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
@milpai  My wife sewed a pillowcase for a panel with a good acoustically-friendly fabric. It fits tightly but there is a bit of slack. I stapled it to the ceiling. There are mounting brackets and nicer ways to do things, but since I needed to see if it would work and how it would sound, I started in with a prototype-first mindset. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
When I bought my 703's it was $67 for the panels and $50 or so for shipping. I learned later that while 703's cannot be found at Home Depot or Lowes, local construction supply companies have them. That's where I'll go to get more, at about 45% savings!
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
@dekay We're all in this googling thing together, buddy. To Infinity and Beyond!
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
@mijostyn I should clarify. I, me, would not use foam -- I am talking about the cheap stuff, not the OC 703 etc. 

For reference, one might scan for the word "foam" here: https://ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
@mijostyn Everyone needs to define what's too much hassle. My wife made the case for the pillow in 30 minutes, the fabric is nice, and there's no mess at all. And they work wonderfully. Still, everyone needs to figure out what they're capable of.
hilde45's avatar
hilde45
4,871 posts
 
@milpai  Possibly of interest: https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/diy-acoustic-treatment-15-minute-challenge
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