Is there any way you can re-orientate your system to be on the long wall? I have recently moved my system from a similar configuration as your own, (close to side walls) to an arrangement where the speakers are +3 meters from any side walls. It sounds like a completely different system! I can really tell that the speakers can breath now. I get better everything. I won’t go into details but it made me feel rather stupid for not doing it sooner. All I had to do was convince the Mrs that we should move our kitchen island bench.
Measurements take a few seconds - say a couple of minutes including positioning the microphone. However, I have a microphone stand - it might take a few minutes longer if you have to improvise). If you send GIK a sketch of room and layout, they’ll suggest where to take measurements. When I engaged with them a couple of years ago I had first used REW to find best speaker and listening position, and sent GIK maybe half a dozen final measurement files from at and around the optimised listening position. After studying them (and the room sketch I sent), GIK suggested another handful in different places.
Regarding aesthetic, bass traps, unless the active type, inherently have to be large - but as my last post indicated there are options to try to minimise the negative, or even turn into a positive feature.
You can try using the impression panels on the walls they are nicely finished with a wood fret panel…they help visually…
It’s not difficult and does not take that much time…I took about six readings around my listening position. I sat down and watched a few you tube videos…the trickiest bit for me was working out how to get Roon to play the sweep tone…so I could test the results of my tweaks. My advice to you is try and restrict your alterations to sub 100hz and keep the filters as simple as possible. Roon is very good at this… I am not a fan of dsp tweaking the whole frequency range…but for a few tweks sub 100hz brilliant…
Hi FR, it’s an interesting comment.
By ordering a few panels from GIK and placing them here and there, and then conclude that room treatment doesn’t work, is not really surprising.
As has been stated on Thomas’ thread on numerous occasions, if you are not prepared to sit down and understand a little bit of the science of how sound waves behave in an enclosed space, then you have set yourself up to fail from the word go.
I’m not blowing any trumpets here, but I have spent hundreds of hours of research, experimenting with various products and also maximising my entire set up.
Has it been worth it: an astounding YES leading to me now enjoying the best replay from a system I’ve have ever heard after over 40 years of this mad hobby including my own previous set ups.
So what actually gets achieved by doing this:
A highly resolved bass, a smooth and transparent midband, and as no high frequency notes splash around the room and the low-end is under control the clarity, imaging and soundstage become something else. You simply end up with hearing what your gear is capable of reproducing, the more the room steps aside…. and before you mention ‘overdamping’ this can easily be prevented by again understanding the basics and again a huge amount of patience. ATB Peter
For the benefit if anyone put off by this, the alternative is to tap into someone else’s exoert knowledge and experience, whether hiring a professional, of using the free advisory service offered by some suppliers if treatment products, such as GIK.
Absolutely IB, indeed something I also reverted to, when I was about to throw the towel in. ATB Peter
Me too! It’s daunting at first understanding the impacts of boundary interference, reflection points and how high and low frequencies behave but the guys at GIK are super helpful.
Spending time to research and a couple of thousand pounds to make my 50k hifi sound like it should was worth the effort.
Just read the listening room reality thread.
Gary
Absolutely Gary, I think I’ve spent £3K on my treatment and have put a lot of time into it. Coming out the other side is bliss and I feel ‘believing’ is key in the process. Best Peter
Yeah you always need more than you think…
I need a few more its addictive
I agree that putting panels in different places is not the most accurate way. However I tried a lot of different places, with one panel then 2 and 4, two different specs panels.
I took me 5 continuous days of trying.
I don’t deny that room treatment can give wonderful results, as in your case. But you have windows behind the speakers and full range speakers, in an average room. It complicates things.
I have FR, but don’t forget my speaker baffles are 1.6 metres in front and I have also dampened my wall behind the listening position quite heavily. I have tried sticking various implements up to cover glass in between / behind the speakers, but tbh. it didn’t make a substantial enough difference acoustically to loose my garden view, which I really enjoy whilst listening. Best Peter
PS. I have got pressure activated absorbers ( GIK) behind the curtains directly behind the speakers
Nice room…glad you kept the view…
Thanks Rich
Agree Pete, mine was a last option and only path left to go down……
Never really realised how integral the room was to the sound until I moved house!
Next house purchase and I’ll take my black boxes and set them up to make sure they sound ok before making an offer!
Gary
How large is your room ?
6.0x3.5x2.4 metres (ceiling) Low end problem-frequency is 80-90Hz. I’m sat 3.5 metres from front baffles. Speakers’ mid baffle distance is 1.8 metres with a slight toe in ATB Peter
You will surely be every sellers potential dream buyer
I am actually convinced that 99% of all rooms could easily be improved upon with acoustic treatment, and once you slowly realise the room disappearing sonically, there literally is no going back! ATB Peter
Are they the Scopus panels? My low end problem seems to be around 55Hz but I need to measure with something better than an iPhone app and come up with the right treatment strategy.