[satfrat]

Hey Robin!  Have you compared the Cathedral panels to another acoustic treatment products installed in the corner, or have you only compared them to the untreated corner?

Ethan himself said that he doesn't doubt that you heard a difference, and also never claimed that the waterfall plots presented are the only measurements needed to completely characterize the acoustic performance of a given treatment.  That said, the waterfall plots highlight both frequency response and decay time, two of the most significant acoustic parameters currently known and among the most highly correlated with actual subjective perceptions of acoustic performance.

Your own observations are entirely valid, and if you're happy with the sound of your room, then sit back, relax, and enjoy it in the best of health!  Those observations, however, necessarily mean that there aren't other products available offering a more significant difference (higher performance) for an equal or lesser cost.  I suspect that even a cheap board of 2" or 4" thick rigid fiberglass or mineral wool from Home Depot may offer an enlightening comparison, especially if angled across the corner.


Note: For what its worth, I've never heard either the Cathedral panels or any of Ethan's products.  I have, however, experimented with loose and rigid fiberglass and maybe 2 types of professional acoustic treatments, both listening to the results and then measuring the performance to better understand what I was hearing.  (I just use an inexpensive, but calibrated, microphone connected to a laptop via an external USB pre-amp and driven by RoomEQWizard.)

Actually Brian, I use acoustic products from 7 different companies. Ethan's Real Traps, Golden Sound Acoustc Discs, 8th Nerve Response&Adapt Series, Furutech Room Diffusion Panels, Acoustic Revive Acoustic panels and ASC Cinema Panels. My rear wall is actually not a wall at all but an opening to my dining room. I have a 3' corner wall on each side tho so I'd call it a 1/2 wall. I have the Golden Sound Discs in the corners and the ASC Cinema panels on each side of the back wall also. In the center, which extends down 14", I have an 8th Nerve Adapt series Rectangle. When I installed 2 Cathedral Panel 3" down from the ceiling on each side of the rear wall opening, I experienced a definite tightening of the bass within the room. I was so impressed by them that I've actually been looking for another 2 panels for the front side walls but knowing what they are, I'm not willing to spend a whole lotta money for another pair. I keep my eyes open at A'gon tho. aa

So let the hot air from those with an opinion but no actual experience with said product continue.

Cheers,
Robin

[satfrat]

  Satfrat, I put pairs of Cathedral Sound Panels in the upper corners(3) of my listening room, and I liked the effect they had.  I did not compare them to any others, and they were the only treatment being used at the time.  I still wonder how they could eliminate a bass boom a little better than a bass trap if they have no measurable effect.  The only place I didn't think the Sound Panels were worth it was at the bottom of the offending corner.  I have an eleven-inch ASC tube trap that I may try in the offending corner.  My treatment on that side(and speaker positioning) has the sound a little clouded and less alive compared to my other open area.

Thanks for stepping in the line of fire with all these nonknowledgable experts. If you've been around AudioCircle for any length of time at all, you'll see that it's always the same names of the experts that pop up with naysaying comments about products they have never tried but yet that doesn't stop them with the jokes, slams, sonic rock BS,,,,,,, a neverending assortment of "hot air". Get use to it but know that not everyone feels that way here. For the most part tho,  many just decide it's not worth joisting with these member types. And that I totally understand.

Cheers,
Robin

[sts9fan]

Robin,

If I gave you an empty glass and said drink it its water would you need to try it to know it was not water?

[nathanm]

Nobody has tried the SonicRock yet, therefore nobody can possibly say it is "BS".

[mmakshak]

  Satfrat, at least postings aren't censored here.  I find it interesting to hear "expert" opinions(even if, as you say, they are the same).  Most acoustic companies put something in that upper corner, yet I find no arguments about graphs showing it has little or no measured effect.  The speakers that I used when trying the Cathedral Sound Panels(DCM Time Windows) have very limited bass, so maybe the boom they eliminated was above 200 hz?  My main objection to the Sound Panels is the damage they might inflict if they fell on my head.