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Thread: Acoustic wall panels for side and rear speakers

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    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    Acoustic wall panels for side and rear speakers

    I've been working on the room my surround sound is in. I put 8 two foot square acoustic wall panels (Parts Express pyramids) behind the listening area and 2 each behind the S412s and one behind my center speaker. The results have been good. I am wondering about my side and rear spealers. They are all up against the back wall and the rear speaker is hanging from the ceiling in between the side speakers. I don't know if I should let them couple up to and reflect off the walls or if I would do better isolating them with acoustic panels. Any insight on this would be appreciated -- Thanks

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    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    It seems like no one wants to touch this turd. I ordered a couple more of the panels and will put them where I think they need to go and see what happens.

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    Senior Member Don C's Avatar
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    I think that most of us understand that room acoustics are very important, but I guess no one else has tried this particular product. I'd be interested in pictures and a review.

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    Senior Member louped garouv's Avatar
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    speaking of room treatments...

    http://www.ethanwiner.com/basstrap.html

    has anyone seen/used a system like this one...

    seems pretty reasonable/easy to build....

    http://www.radford.edu/~shelm/acoustics/bass-traps.html

    another variation, i think there are others too on a quick search....


    maybe in a few years, I can get a house built and really build a "dedicated" room....


    :dreams-on:

  5. #5
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    Originally posted by Don C

    I think that most of us understand that room acoustics are very important, but I guess no one else has tried this particular product. I'd be interested in pictures and a review.
    Will do – So far, The results have been good. It is not really possible to A-B different situations since they have to be stuck to the wall and it would take too many hands to hold and move them around while listening for differences. The first thing I did was put 8 of the panels (Parts Express 305-106) on the back wall based on an old thread here that got me started on this. It was about putting a mirror on the wall so you could see the speakers from the listening position. It seemed to mellow the sound and I noticed other subjective improvements over extended listening.

    The next thing was to put them behind my front speakers. When I visited Rick in Overland Park, he took me around to a few audio stores. I noticed absorbent items behind the speakers. Rick pointed out the cabinets vibrate and that these vibrations also bounced off the walls – made sense. This seemed like an area of possible improvement. I can’t say for sure yet, since I did this very recently, but I think the improvement might even be more significant than what I did to the back wall or possibly I just got more than the sum of the parts.

    The next thing was the speakers next to the rear wall. I don’t know for sure if I want the room reflections or I would be better off isolating them and hearing the processed sound of the side and rear speakers uncorrupted by room reflections. I’ll get a chance to check this out Friday night.

    I need to borrow a camera, but in the next couple of weeks, I will post pictures on this thread.

    Louped Garouv -- I’ve only applied placement and EQ to the low end. I’m OK with the sound, but there are some wild variations between one listening position and another. This is a whole other area that I’ve given thought to, but am far more ignorant of. Thanks for the links, I got a long way to go in understanding some of this stuff, but these are a good start.

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    Senior Member louped garouv's Avatar
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    please do not mistake my "google skillz" for being technically adept,
    I am sorry if I may appear that way sometimes...

  7. #7
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    No problem, I have been curious about bass traps as well as the panels, but this is the more mysterious area, at least to me. I got to start somewhere if I expect to find answers my own questions. Your links were as good a place as any to start. Thanks again!

  8. #8
    Administrator Mr. Widget's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Don C
    I think that most of us understand that room acoustics are very important, but I guess no one else has tried this particular product. I'd be interested in pictures and a review.
    Yes, photos and a room layout drawing would clarify your situation... if you can, please post a pic or two.


    Widget

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    Senior Member Don Mascali's Avatar
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    I have been using Everest horns up front to keep things off the side walls. I used foam lined curtains and a decorative Oriental rug on the walls.

    From what I understand most "Experts" like dipole radiators for the side and rear channels as a diffuse sound that is not easily located serves the surround purpose best. Using that logic perhaps letting things bounce around towards the back would be best?:dont-know

    I use 2344A horns pointing inwards from the center, side and back walls and they spread things around pretty well for me.
    4406, 4412A, L100, L100t3 (3 pair), L1, L7, 4645C, 4660A, 4695B, SR4735 and various DIY JBL Pro loaded systems.

  10. #10
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    HP Sucks

    I took some pictures and diagrammed my listening room. Unfortunately, I'm involved in a major hassle with HP. My computer couldn't see my scanner so after hours of dicking around with them and Microsoft, HP told me I needed a new All-in-One unit to make my problem go away. I forked over for a new unit and I still got the same problem and now they are telling me I need to reformat and reinstall XP. I got all the stuff together and will post it as soon as I get this mess fixed.

  11. #11
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    Sorry this took so long. I fixed the computer and am finally back in business.

    I put the panels between the wall and my side speakers. After doing this, I had to turn both speakers up about 2 clicks each. I've always been a minimalist with the delay settings on the surround processing. I upped them from .5 to 1.0, this represents 2 increments avove 0 instead of 1. I think what it comes down to is the quality of the surround processor or of the job done making the SACD or DVD-A. I first listened to some of my 2 channel stuff in PL2 and Neo6-- some Oblivion Express live. There was definitely more going on in the space that the music was in. Next, I listened to some female vocals. On Manhatten Transfer, Janis Siegal was still pretty much anchored in the center speaker, but the rest of the band was coming from everywhere. Flora Purim was psychedelic -- she was everywhere and inside my brain at the same time, one hell of an effect.

    I used to think I wanted to get all the room reflections I could get, to the point that I even used (forgive me) Blows speakers for my surround channels. The surround processing on my reciever while not in Lexicons league is still pretty good so I feel better off taking room reflections out of the picture. I picked up the Howard Hanson multi-channel SACD last night and it was spectacular. I haven't been able to listen to classical music on my surround set up. I always preffered my modified L100s and Mac for this type of music, but taming the room seems to have solved that problem atleast for multi-channel sources.
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  12. #12
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    I made a diagram of the room, but I can't figure out how to get it out of the computer. Hopefully the pictures will give you the idea, but I will try to figure this out.
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  13. #13
    Senior Member Rusnzha's Avatar
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    Got it! It's a little smaller than I hoped for, but it's the best I could get it.
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