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We make and install Sound Quality and Noise Control Solutions |
The sound that you hear in a room is far more influenced by the placement yourself, the placement of the speakers and the acoustic performance of the room's surface and contents than it is by the quality of the speakers and electronics. The tone & timbre of the speakers can also vary significantly depending on the speaker/listener positions and the room acoustics.
The Acoustic Distortion introduced by the room can be so influential that it dominates the overall sonic impression. To deal with these problems we need to address two main issues. One is for frequencies in the low region below 500Hz the other is for the other frequencies above 500z.
Below 500Hz we need to focus on the interference at the listening position between the loudspeakers and the adjacent wall/floor/ceiling boundaries, as well as the coupling between the speakers and ones self with the modal response of the room. These low frequency forms of acoustical distortion can be addressed with proper placement of loudspeakers and listening position, as well as the application of dedicated low-frequency absorbers. Above 300 Hz we are dealing with more direct reflections which result in comb filtering and the lack of adequate sound diffusion. Comb filtering can be reduced through careful placement of absorptive and diffusive surface treatment.
When building a home cinema or listening room we must deal with the low frequency control first because once the room is built any standing wave problems will be harder to reduce. Also consider the speaker/listener positions modal coupling can be optimized by optimal speaker/listener positioning. The application of Bass Traps or other low frequency acoustic control products will then be that more efficient and effective.
Decide at the design stage if the acoustic treatment will be completely concealed, or completely revealed or some combination of the two. Concealment methods usually involve fabric wrapped panels or a wooden framework with absorbers built into cavities behind the wall surface. When designing a new room it is a good idea to reserve a 10 to 12” space around the perimeter of the room for acoustic treatment. It is also convenient to utilize wall and ceiling soffits to address low-frequency control, HVAC, wiring and lighting. This area can also be utilized to provide a 'ceiling cloud' over the listening position area to conceal bass traps and provide absorbptive and diffusive elements.
FRONT WALL:
Because the front wall immediately receives the omni-directional low frequency
sound from the bass speakers it typically needs to be covered with at least
2 to 4” thick of absorption such as nested panels or foam. Corner mounted bass
traps should be mounted in the wall/ceiling or wall/wall corners. Try to
position the screen at least 12” into the room so that there is room for
acoustic treatment behind it.
REAR WALL:
The rear wall usually is treated with some kind of exposed or concealed acoustic
diffuser system to uniformly diffuse sound across the listening area, thus
heightening the surround sensation. If possible the listener should be seated at
least 5’ from the rear wall. Additional low frequency treatment can be placed
below and surrounding the diffusers if needed. The best diffusers for the rear
wall are ziggurat panels, S-2000 checkers in 2,3 and 4” or diffractors.
LEFT/RIGHT WALL:
The front of the room, from the screen to the first row of seats should ideally
be a mixture of absorption and diffusion which can be achieved with foam or
S-2000 panels, typically 1 to 2” in depth. The rear sidewalls are usually made
diffusive, so that the surround channels can be uniformly diffused. This can be
accomplished with wall construction, S-2000 with S-3000 panels, diffractors and
or foam.
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