[Alwayswantmore]

Thanks to The Acoustics Circle, I have a tentative plan. I’d like to hold the budget for treatments to about $1,000, and I’m considering a combination of GIK products and DIY to meet my needs.

Since beginning researching the project a number of months ago, two things have changed:

- My music room will now be shared with a recently purchased 42” Pioneer Kuro Elite plasma TV (hanging on the wall)

- Because of the TV, WAF has become a much greater consideration. As a result, I’ve devised a tentative plan to work fabric drapes into the mix to hide some acoustical treatments

This somewhat lengthy post outlines my situation and plan. Any suggestions are appreciated. [Bryan, based on forum rules you are welcome to PM your input.]


ROOM

A dedicated media room (music / TV). The room is a spare bedroom. More...

- 13 x 12, with 9 ceiling



- Enter from a hall facing the long wall, with two windows on the left wall

- Heavy plush carpet over 8lb rebond pad, over Advantec wood subfloor (basement below)

- Equipment on Left Wall

- Seating on Right Wall


FRONT WALL DIMENTIONS

- 12’ wide

- 11 inches from each corner to edge of windows

- Windows: 32” x 72”

- Center wall between Windows: 4’ 9” wide (for TV)




EQUIPMENT

- Omega Compact Hemps (efficient single drivers)

- ACI Force XL powered sub

- Wadia 830 CDP / DAC

- RWA Signature 30.2 amp

- 42” Pioneer Kuro Elite Plasma (Approximate dimensions: 46 wide x 27 high x 5 deep)

- BluRay player (Not yet purchased – considering Panasonic BD 30 or 50)

- AV Audio – I plan to run BluRay and HD cable TV into Wadia’s DAC via digital connections, so the Wadia will act as a digital preamp (2 channel audio only)






SEATING / LISTENING POSITION

- Two recliners

- I plan to move my recliner to a center position for 2ch listening. The listening area would be approximately a 6-foot equilateral triangle.




PROPOSED ACCOUSTIC TREATMENTS

(6) GIK Tri-traps – stacked two-high in front + back right corners (total of 3 corners)

(3) GIK 242 panels, one each for 1st reflection, plus one placed horizontally below TV

(2) 2’x4’x4” JM 705 DIY panels, recessed into both window wells on front wall – positioned to lower inside edge of each window

(1) 2’x4’x4” JM 705 DIY panel centered on back wall


PROPOSED COSMETIC TREATMENTS

- Ceiling to floor curtains made of material pictured below

- Curtains will be hung on front wall, covering the Tri-traps and DIY window panels (Curtain will angle to conform to treatment shape [Using ceiling tracks])




PRICING

- GIK treatments w/ shipping and standard fabric:  $1,021.69

- (6) 705 2x4x 2 inch = Approx. $82 

- Track hangers & sewing: ???


QUESTIONS

- Foil in or out for DIY window treatments? Same for DIY back wall?

- Will recessing the DIY panels in the windows have a negative impact on their effectiveness?

- Will approximately 8 feet of fabric drapes on front wall (covering Tri-traps and DIY window panels) absorb too much high frequency?

- How would the sound be impacted if I eliminated the (2) tri-traps for the back right corner? (Tri-traps are the biggest expense in this config. – and this would be a small improvement in the WAF)

- What changes should be done to improve this scenario?

Thanks in advance for your feedback! Kent

[bpape]

Skip the Tri Traps in the rear corner. 

Front wall with that much curtain is a lot.  I'd only do the windows and only what you have to.  4" plugs behind are good.  No need to get faced 703 - that will save you some money.

Rear wall - use the foil toward the room to keep the rear lively for 2 channel yet still help with bass issues off the rear wall.  Make it 2 2'x4'x4" panels side by side

Front wall - I'd use the 3rd 242 above the TV, not below.

No need to buy 705 - 703 will do just as good in this application for 1/2 the money. 

Side walls - you may need to turn the side panels horizontally to catch both reflection points.  Plot them and see. 

Bryan

[Alwayswantmore]

Skip the Tri Traps in the rear corner. 

Good news, save buck$.

Front wall with that much curtain is a lot.  I'd only do the windows and only what you have to.  4" plugs behind are good.  No need to get faced 703 - that will save you some money.

I figure the Tri-corners will overlap 7" of each window, plus the wooden ledge at bottom of window well keep the Tri-corner pushed out from the front wall by about 2". My plan was to cover the entire mess with a curtain for aesthetic purposes. I guess I could leave the Tri-corners exposed to the room and cover what's left of the window to hide the DIY treatment and block light. Less dramatic, but also less absorption of highs.

Side walls - you may need to turn the side panels horizontally to catch both reflection points.  Plot them and see. 

How do you plot them?

BTW: I know that this is a small room, with this set up and treatment, do you expect it will produce pretty good sound? Right now the ringing is so bad I'm listening to my K1000 headphones and forgoing the speakers.

Anything else you would add or change to improve sound???

Thanks, Kent

[Alwayswantmore]

Skip the Tri Traps in the rear corner. 

Front wall with that much curtain is a lot.  I'd only do the windows and only what you have to.  4" plugs behind are good.  No need to get faced 703 - that will save you some money.

Rear wall - use the foil toward the room to keep the rear lively for 2 channel yet still help with bass issues off the rear wall.  Make it 2 2'x4'x4" panels side by side

Front wall - I'd use the 3rd 242 above the TV, not below.

No need to buy 705 - 703 will do just as good in this application for 1/2 the money. 

Side walls - you may need to turn the side panels horizontally to catch both reflection points.  Plot them and see. 

Bryan

Bryan, I am getting close to "pitching" the room to my wife. I know that she is going to have heart-burn if I block access to closet door with the tris. So I've created hand drawings of the room as show above plus one where the speakers would be on the wall where you enter via the hall (ie flipped 180 degrees).

I priced out a system with all GIK (ie no bulk JM panels). The 242s and tri corners are the same as discussed above, but I included two 244s to flank left and right of TV (in window wells for the config above).

Which would do better for the back wall, 1 Monster trap on stands so it could be moved behind listening chair, or two 244s hung in the middle of the back wall???
I just ordered my BluRay player, so acoustic panels are the last major purchase I need to move forward on the room (that and the fact I want to upgrade the Hemps with Omega's new Alnico drivers  )

[Alwayswantmore]

Hi Bryan, this is for a phone discussion I want to have with you...

Room: 13 x 12, with 9 ceiling



- Enter from a hall facing the long wall, with two windows on the left wall

- Heavy plush carpet over 8lb rebond pad, over Advantec wood subfloor (basement below)

Setup

42" plasma / Omega speakers / equipment on 13' wall (far end as you enter room, with widows to left side)
Stacked tri-corners on front wall
(2) 244s behind speakers on front wall, flanking TV
(2) 242 for first reflection (between windows and opposite wall -- horizontal orientation)
??? for back wall (behind chairs -- (2) 244s???)
Fabric to make additional one foot riser to fill-in 9' ceiling for tri-corners
Windows covered in fabric drapes
What to do with extra 242???
Hall and closet would be on back wall

[Alwayswantmore]

REV2

Hi Bryan, this is for a phone discussion I want to have with you...

Room: 13 x 12, with 9 ceiling



- Enter from a hall facing the long wall, with two windows on the left wall

- Heavy plush carpet over 8lb rebond pad, over Advantec wood subfloor (basement below)

Setup

TV / spkrs on 13' wall (far end as you enter room, with widows to left side)
42" Pioneer Kuro Elite plasma / Omega Compact Hemp speakers / ACI Force XL sub / Red Wine Audio 30.2 / Wadia 830 CDP w/ latest factory power supply mod
GIK...
Stacked tri-corners on front wall corners
(2) 242 for first reflection point (between windows and opposite wall -- horizontal orientation)
(2) Monster traps on back wall
Fabric to make additional one foot riser to fill-in 9' ceiling for tri-corners
Windows will be covered in fabric 'blackout' drapes

[bpape]

As we discussed on the phone -

Tri's stacked in the front corners.

242 on each side wall for reflections

2 Monsters in the rear directly behind your seated listening position.

That should keep the budget in line and leave the closet open for WAF.

Bryan

[Alwayswantmore]

Thanks!

[max190]

Always & Bryan,

If I understand the final setup, it sounds like you are not installing any panels on the front wall, nor on the ceiling?

[bpape]

That's correct.  He has high enough ceilings that there won't be significant modal issues in the height dimension.  Also, he's running a sub so SBIR issues won't be as much of an issue which is what we normally do the front wall for - except for dedicated HT usage.  This is not to say that the front wall might not be treated later on but what's been identified at this point IMO best addresses the primary room issues within the budget given.

Bryan

[max190]

Bryan,

I understand the OP has a set budget, but with the given size of the room, and the distance his spkrs will be from the front wall, will he not gain added depth, plus a more open soundstage by treating the front wall?

Instead of the (2) monster panels, opt for (6) 242's.  This would raise his budget up just a little more, but the ROI would be very beneficial.

Place (2) behind the LP
Place (1) on the closet door
Place (2) on the front wall behind each spkr.
Place (1) above the TV

[Alwayswantmore]

Booyah!!! Got the blessing from the wife to order GIK as proposed by Bryan. Can't wait to hear the difference. I'll report more over time. Kent

[ajzepp]

Booyah!!! Got the blessing from the wife to order GIK as proposed by Bryan. Can't wait to hear the difference. I'll report more over time. Kent

I have heard the difference...and the difference is good.