[wgraft5]

I would not advise following that guys recommendations.

What sites or posts would you recommend for basic REW setup and use? I am scared to use REW because it seems very complicated and over my head.  It may help others too.

Wayne in Oregon

[Glady86]

I would not advise following that guys recommendations.

 I think he is correct about the room being more important than other tweaks audiophiles like to try. But I don't agree with his opinion that seems to totally dismiss tweaks such as high quality caps and such.

 

[Glady86]

What sites or posts would you recommend for basic REW setup and use? I am scared to use REW because it seems very complicated and over my head.  It may help others too.

Wayne in Oregon

 There's a  link on page one member Hafgrim posted to help you learn about room measurements and reading graghs. For the GR open baffle speakers, Tyson's post on basic setup is pretty much all you need to do to hear how great these speakers perform.

[Danny Richie]

I think he is correct about the room being more important than other tweaks audiophiles like to try. But I don't agree with his opinion that seems to totally dismiss tweaks such as high quality caps and such.

Yes, he is correct about the importance of a well treated room, and he is also dismissive of everything else.

If you post pictures of your room then we can give you some good tips and recommendations.

[mkane]

15' 6 x 22' 5

[Hobbsmeerkat]

For room treatment, I really like Jesco from Acoustics Insider.
https://www.youtube.com/@AcousticsInsider
He's got a lot of videos on how to handle room acoustics as well as how to read/use the measurements from REW, as well as tips on how to build absorption panels/bass traps as well as placement.
Lots of great info to dig into.

He mainly focuses on small-room or home-studio settings, but a lot of his info can still be applied to home listening rooms by focusing on the main and secondary reflections, front wall and ceilings, etc.

When it comes to absorption panels, he recommends using several 2'x4'x6" thick panels stuffed with rockwool or fiberglass which is spaced about 4-6" off the walls which will help with wavelengths down to ~200Hz.
In order to be effective, you'll probably need more panels than you realize, same goes for diffusion panels.

A really good series of videos to watch was his collab with Music City Acoustics that goes through measuring a raw room with REW looking for the best place to sit, as well as how the acoustics change as you add more and more treatment to a room:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTOD5DUW9Ak&list=PLVisTZxdtuNQCPXt6mPuHW1szj4kAIOSV

[Glady86]

 Here’s what my setup looks like now. Of course I move the middle diffuser when I watch tv.  An unexpected result from moving the subs out of the corners and putting the bass traps on the floor increased the perceived bass response from the speakers. The bass is strong and powerful enough without turning on the subs. For music they are not really needed. The diffusers improved the imaging and sense of soundstage width and depth.

 I have another 2QRD like the one in middle and tried those stacked in between the panels behind the speakers like this, but prefer the sound the way it’s setup in the top photo.



  Since this is my basement, The ceiling is low at only 6' 6" high after installing the drop cieling. Years ago I installed ceiling tiles designed for  home theater which are basically 1 inch thick fiberglass insulation board with a black facing. Also I stuffed insulation between the rafters. So I guess the ceiling doesn't cause much ssues.
 
 

[CaptainDidactic]

Cool setup! What difference did the diffusers make for the sound? I am planning on buying some diffusers to replace the red picture I have behind my system and am wondering what to expect. Thanks!

[Glady86]

Cool setup! What difference did the diffusers make for the sound? I am planning on buying some diffusers to replace the red picture I have behind my system and am wondering what to expect. Thanks!

 Thanks, they focus the imaging and improve the soundstage. And I think improved the tonal balance and definition. They diffuse the reflections so you hear more of the direct sound. Youll never optimize the speakers performance when the reflections overwhelm the direct sound. Just like any other speakers I've owned, you also need to experiment with placement, toe in and seating position.

 Also, I'm not sure how many panels you really need, of course the companies that sell these things have em all over the place in their picturs.

[Hobbsmeerkat]

Also, I'm not sure how many panels you really need, of course the companies that sell these things have em all over the place in their picturs.

Often more than you might expect, 4 panels on their own will have a very subtle effect especially on their own, as they are only effective within a certain frequency range, depending on the size and depth of the wells, while porous absorbers can cover a pretty wide range of frequencies, depending on the thickness and if there is also an airgap between it and the wall.

Thankfully you don't need to go as far as "home studio" setups to get really good results.
The main places to focus are the primary reflections, (absorption) secondary reflections, (diffusion) and the corners. (absorption)
Balancing out the use of for both will really help to improve the speakers' overall performance in that room.

[BGA]

Posted in wrong thread, I removed the content, can't figure out how to remove it completely.

[Jaytor]

I really like the sound of diffusors behind my speakers. I used the ATS QRD diffusors that I wrapped in fabric. I have a total of eight 2'x4' panels. Adding these resulted in a very deep soundstage with excellent layering.




I installed these while I was still using the NX-Oticas and the diffusors provided the same results.

[Glady86]

Incredible looking room Jaytor! I bet the sound quality is world class. Your room is a lot wider and higher than mine, so I understand the need for that many diffusers.

[Glady86]

 After further listening, I decided the one diffuser in front of the tv doesn't really improve anything. Putting a blanket over the tv and the other two 2QRD panels behind the speakers works better. You not only need to tinker with speaker placement but also room treatment placement. 

 So I ordered two more diffusers and will try an absorption panel for in front of the tv.

 I'm experiencing "frisson" so all this tinkering is working. 

[Glady86]

 Here’s after I mounted the diffusers on the wall. I put 2QRD panels across the corners above the bass traps. To my surprise made a nice enhancement to the overall sound, the sound quality is more consistent throughout the listening space.

 Also, if you move your subs, don’t forget to measure and EQ them again. I believe I managed to get the subs to blend well with speakers.

[Glady86]

 Im starting to think some of the "results" from tweaking I tried are just placebo. I removed the 2QRD panels from the corners and now don't think they improved anything, just changed the sound a little but not for the better. I still believe the QRD diffusers on the front wall is an improvement.

[Tyson]

The best thing here is that you are learning to dial in your system by ear, and actually trust what you are hearing (or 'not' hearing).  IME, it's easy to fool my own brain in the short term, but much harder to keep it fooled over the medium term.  My general rule is make a change and then live with it for a couple of weeks before deciding if it's going to be permanent. 

[mkane]

permanents a big word

[g3rain1]

 Here’s after I mounted the diffusers on the wall. I put 2QRD panels across the corners above the bass traps. To my surprise made a nice enhancement to the overall sound, the sound quality is more consistent throughout the listening space.

 Also, if you move your subs, don’t forget to measure and EQ them again. I believe I managed to get the subs to blend well with speakers.

2D diffusers need more space to work compared to the 1D ones, or at least that's what I've been told by GIK, so they may be too close to the speakers.

[Glady86]

2D diffusers need more space to work compared to the 1D ones, or at least that's what I've been told by GIK, so they may be too close to the speakers.

 Thanks, I have two more 1D panels, so I made two triple stacks of them. They now cover most of the space from floor to cieling between the tv and bass traps.  I could try the 2d ones at the second reflection point, but I kinda think I wouldn't hear any difference. The room is 40 feet long so I don't think treatments on the back wall would change anything?