If you like the GAIA II I would recommend the Orea feet under the equipment. Had a similar impact on black boxes. Worth checking out some of the recent reviews. If you do try them put them in contact with the casework, not the feet as they work better that way. Also, lovely looking system and the Focals work well in the room.
I too have been experimenting with room treatment recently.
I was suprised how it focused the soundstage and tamed the bass, that was with an ironing board, ladder & blankets!
I admit I could have tried better materials, but they were the right size and available, it was enough to convince me, I then had to convince my partner.
Did you use the software GIK provide or purchase the panels that aesthetically appealed?
I didn’t use the software but the cushions and surfboards helped me appreciate how refractors/absorbers impact sound. My listening room is quite small and I sit quite close (2m) which means reflections and positioning have quite an impact on the overall sound. There is a lot of useful info on the web and combined with real life experimentation convinced me to use something actually designed for the job.
The main issue I had in the room was always with the top end, it could at times sound quite unpleasant. I discovered that listening to one speaker on its own often did not exhibit the same level of unpleasantness which again helped me hone in on the issue being the interaction between the two speakers and the room.
I’ve also added better mains block, a Powerline and some support under the Nova all of which provided incremental sonic benefit.
After adding the Powerline it seemed to exacerbate the issues in the room but adding the GIK panels has made a significant difference, possibly the biggest overall impact (improvement) or at least a close tie with Powerline.
After Christmas I will experiment positioning the panels properly but early signs are very encouraging. Whilst I expected the improvement in clarity and detail, I had not anticipated that the bass would improve as much as it has.
I have read in various places that room treatment is usually overlooked and I appreciate the balance between domestic bliss and SQ. However, if your situation allows it, I highly recommend experimenting with some proper acoustic panels. For c£200, it’s one of the cheapest and most effective tweaks I’ve undertaken.
Hi @Crispy, I like the Orea’s yet thought they are a bit high. How many do you have per shelf; 3 or 4? My initial thought was to go with balls & cups. Regarding the shelves, what kind of glass should I order: I am thinking of 10mm hardened glass. Anything else I need to keep in mind for the glass? Iver
I considered the Orea’s but have gone with 10mm stainless steel ball bearings sitting on 8mm nuts. It’s about $15 per a set of three for each shelf. I use 10mm toughened glass, the same size as the black box, these are about $110 each. You just need to decide on the colour - I use green float.
You don’t need a Fraim, just apply some common sense and principles of isolation and decoupling and you’ll get about 80% of the way there at less than 10% of the price and can have something that looks better.
I did similar with mine, bought Naim cups and balls had a local glass company cut a piece of toughened glass to size and it made a good improvement on the sound quality. Not all of us have the funds or inclination to own a Fraim.
Looks nice and discrete Dalmation. No need IMO for a single box to be sitting on a rack taking up more room than necessary. The only thing I would have tried would be to get a piece of smoked glass from the supplier instead of clear. Either way, it still looks good though.
As far as I know, glass is not usually recommended for its negative sound dampening characteristics. So its confusing to me seeing common use of glass basements on Naims. Is it suggested by Naim ?