My room acoustics need Major Help. What's the quickest solution?

bizmord

bizmord

Full Audioholic
Hi guys,


So, my "home Theater" is my living room (20' x 12' x 9' height) that opens up to a wide hallway. My front speakers are facing a leather sectional couch and all the walls are pretty much empty. I do have a large thick rug on hardwood floors and drapes that are very thin and usually are open (do not cover the two standard size windows).


I also play my piano and same issue ... sound could be better. Too much echo.


When playing surround hi res music I hear sound bouncing all over the place. With movies it's a bit better but still.


I am looking for a cheap and quick solution or at least a half decent solution to calm the echo and other sound imperfection down a bit.


I've looked at products like these on amazon
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0032BXMMM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1S815T8HSYNPL


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001E8KKPM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_4?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER


http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002WKHN2O/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A1S815T8HSYNPL


I was also thinking of throwing a few pillows on the couch.


So ... what would be the quick and dirty solution? Since this is a living room ... trying to keep it NOT looking like a recording studio.


thank you.
 
Glenn Kuras

Glenn Kuras

Full Audioholic
In a room your size you are having upper frequency problems without treatment, but what is even more damaging is the low end. The products you listed will not tame them. To get up to speed on how low end reacts in a room and how to treat it, see the following.
Bass Traps and Understanding Low Frequencies - GIK Acoustics
The Basics of Room Acoustics: Bass Traps, Diffusors, Acoustic Panels
Room Acoustics Primer - GIK Acoustics
Acoustically Treated vs Non-treated Room - GIK Acoustics
Understanding Decay Time and Waterfall Graphs - GIK Acoustics
Sorry that is a lot to go through but it should help.
 
H

Hipper

Audiophyte
Glenn of course is right. There is no question addressing bass problems, which you will certainly have, will improve the sound of everything considerably. Unfortunately bass traps are large and not cheap.

The items you linked to on Amazon will only help with higher frequencies and then you have to place them correctly. I would be more confident of buying something from GIK (I have bought from them) or perhaps Real Traps. Both will give you good advice.

Glenns fourth link is worth listening to. Apart from the obvious echo some of the bass notes seem missing without treatment. With treatment you get all the bass notes at the same dB level. That's what really happens when adding enough bass traps. They remove the bass the room is adding to reveal only the bass from the music at your ears.

Moving your piano, speakers and listening chair will change the sound you hear (both lower and higher frequencies) and may improve it to a degree. So will altering the toe in of the speakers - pointing them more to your chair will presumably give you more sound direct from the speakers and less from the side walls. Experimentation is the key.

If you don't want to spend money then you should start by filling the room with soft furnishings. At the moment it must sound more like a bathroom then a living room. Just to get an idea you could temporarily put cushions/pillows/duvets where you think the sound reflects off walls to hear what happens. Only higher frequencies will be affected though.
 
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