[dBe]

Dave,

Any idea on the pricing?

At this point in time it looks like the 2 x 2 will retail for ~ $85.00 painted in your choice of standard Behr Paint colors with 2 x 4 units being double = $170.00.

I think Greg is running a special on these right now at the same price as standard diffusers to get them out in the field and to get feedback coming in. 

You can contact Greg (aka Igor) with a PM to ADD.  Me, I'm just the designer.

<><

Dave

[dmccombs]

I have a set of these in my living room right now.   

I already have a few sets of Dave/Greg's older diffusers.  They do an excellent job and have helped my difficult room immensely.  I have two sets in the first and second reflections positions on the side of my room, and one set in front of the room.

So when Dave brought these new diffusers over and suggested that I replace the diffusers I place in the front of the room, in front of my 65" sound destroyer (plasma TV), I wasn't expecting much difference.

I was surprised.  I could hear the difference immediately.  The sound stage became more defined and instrument separation improved.  The tightness in the bass area improved.

Being a sketpic, I wanted to be sure that what I was hearing was indeed batter, and not just different.  Sometimes we make a change and hear a difference and thinks its better for a week, than realize it just different.  So I listened more over a two week period.

It clearly better, not just different in mt application.  My partner in crime here at Mach2 (Kevin) came over aand we did the A/B/C test and the new ones clearly were better.  A/B/C = is no diffusers/old diffusers/new diffusers.  Kevin was totally shocked by the change.  He was grinning ear to ear.

I am still testing different configurations.  The older thinner diffusers still may be best for my side walls.  The old/new diffusers both do some things well.  I am guessing a mix of the older and new one will provide the best results.

For most of us the room is our biggest weakness (good gear but a so-so room).  This is an expensive mod, and the improvement was quite noticeable.  The bang for the buck here is huge.  The only tough choice I have is what color do I get.   

Darrell
Mach2 Music

[tasar]

At this point in time it looks like the 2 x 2 will retail for ~ $85.00 painted in your choice of standard Behr Paint colors with 2 x 4 units being double = $170.00.

I think Greg is running a special on these right now at the same price as standard diffusers to get them out in the field and to get feedback coming in. 

You can contact Greg (aka Igor) with a PM to ADD.  Me, I'm just the designer.

<><
IGOR.....DON'T BE BASHFULL.....CALL ME, YOU KNOW, THE "OTHER DAVE"
Dave

[SoCalWJS]

At this point in time it looks like the 2 x 2 will retail for ~ $85.00 painted in your choice of standard Behr Paint colors with 2 x 4 units being double = $170.00.

I think Greg is running a special on these right now at the same price as standard diffusers to get them out in the field and to get feedback coming in. 

You can contact Greg (aka Igor) with a PM to ADD.  Me, I'm just the designer.

<><

Dave

PM sent to ADD. Hopefully I got hold of the right person

[DTB300]

I am fortunate to have the new AQD1, and I also have the ABB1. 

I was using the ABB1 as follows:  Two stacked vertically on the front wall, centered between speakers (pattern runs vertical).  Rear wall ABB1, were mounted side by side (pattern runs vertical), in front of a 3 GIK 244 Panels, and about 8" down from top of panel, located on the rear wall behind my seating position.  I developed a great way to mount the diffusers in front of an absorption panel without damaging the panel.  I can move them left or right and I can have them flush with top of panel or I can drop down about 10" max.

I would post pictures, but the picture police would probably get offended.  But we all know what the AQD1's look like, so just think of the same picture, but on a wall     or in front of an absorption panel.

To help out, Dave posted a nice JPG of what the patten looks like on the AQD1.  Remember they are made/shipped in male/female pairs.  I bought 2 pairs of the 2' x 2' size.  The male/female patterns are easily seen by just inverting the picture below:



For me in my room and my rig: 

The ABB1 sounded as if the sound (mids/highs) was being pushed forward from the panel location more than side to side diffusion.  They seemed to perform better in the center of the front wall for me than any other location - side walls, rear walls, etc.

The AQD1 were place exactly where the ABB1's were.   The front diffusers (female) improved the center image over the ABB1's.  And combined with the rear AQD1's the sound stage from left to right became better balanced.  The ABB1's again seemed to push the sound forward right where they were placed, where the AQD1's helped diffuse the sound better.

I am still playing around with placement to find ideal location and orientation.

Overall the AQD1's are an improvement in sound over the ABB1's in my room and for my rig.  Other may find the ABB1's are sufficient and/or better.  But until you try each out, you may not know which product will give better benefits to your room.

If in doubt which to buy first, I would suggest the newer AQD1.

[S Clark]

My AQD1's are here and, for now, placed between my LS9s.  They are approx 4' X8', in front of the TV and much of my stereo.  So far, little doubt that they increase the width of soundstage and create a greater sense of venue ambience.  I even picked up a bit of detail that I hadn't heard from my most played cd, Joshua Judges Ruth by L. Lovette.  I'll add photos tomorrow and update as I move these guys around. 

Scott

... listening to An American in Paris, in a section where horns mimic taxis, they sound like they are outside the room...  hadn't heard THAT before!

[SoCalWJS]

Het Scott - keep us updated! Sounds like good imrovements so far.

I'm this close to ordering, just not sure which to get.

Did you notice any change with respect to the depth of the soundstage?

(Joshua Judges Ruth  I use a couple of cuts off of that as my favorite references at this point.)

[S Clark]

Most interestingly, I notice the greatest increase in depth of soundstage on a batch of mono classical lp's that I was listening to today.  They really fleshed out with the extra diffusion.

[S Clark]

Here is the set up used for the initial listening sessions.








My listening partner, Rufus, has the sweet spot, ready to do critical listening.  Usually he has his eyes closed for concentration.

[SoCalWJS]

That's quite a collection of room treatments you have there. Could you identify what is where? Looks like two different types in between the speakers. You can do lots of fine tuning.

(It's usually a cat that keeps me company in the sweet spot when I/m listening. The dog seems to prefer to stay well off center)

[S Clark]

That's quite a collection of room treatments you have there. Could you identify what is where? Looks like two different types in between the speakers. You can do lots of fine tuning.

(It's usually a cat that keeps me company in the sweet spot when I/m listening. The dog seems to prefer to stay well off center)

For Rufus, the sweet spot is where ever the morning sun is shining.
As far as treatment, the new AQD1's are set with the males on bottom,  and the females on top.  The Persian rugs behind the speakers cover 6" of Corning 703 built to match the rugs- about 42" X 84".  Other 4"x 24"x 48" 703 absorbers are at the mid reflection points.  The tile floor has three wool rugs.  The back (behind the speakers) corners have bass traps with ABB1 diffusers in front.  There is one front corner with two bales of fiberglass behind a 703 panel.

Above a large soffit behind the listening position is a 4'X8' rug hiding 2" of 703.  Without a doubt, the room is an acoustic mess, with fireplace cutouts, openings to another large, adjacent room, and tile floors.  My attempts to make it listenable have greatly improved the detail and imagery, but except for advice from Dave, I feel like I am randomly throwing stuff around the room to see what happens.  When I see what some of the guys have done with their rooms (and hear the results-you should hear Gary Dodd's room), and the talk about moving stuff by inches, I'm ready to throw up my hands sometimes.  But, it keeps getting better, bit by bit.

Scott

[S Clark]

I've split these out, with a pair still in the center, and a pair at first reflection points.  Still getting very wide soundstage, sometimes too large- larger than life.  However, it gradually came to me that an old problem that I had seems to have disappeared.  The room had a resonance at about 120-130 Hz, especially noticeable with Jazz ensembles with a bass, and it would drive me crazy.  I usually listened to jazz in my smaller room rather than the main rig.  Well, the resonance is gone. 
Dave, are these supposed to work that low?  They do in this room. 
Scott

[SoCalWJS]

You definitely have some experimenting to do. You've got a whole bunch of configutation possibilities.

Just saw the pictures gld posted in the GR forum of his room with Super v's - amps don't look too bad either! 

Took the plunge and ordered some AQD's.

Now I need to find a local source of OC703 and build some corner traps.

[Cheeseboy]

I need to buy some dogs and cats so my room sounds better.  It would give my wife some competition for the sweet spot.  I have given up competing.  When Mama is happy so am I.

I really need the diffusion material in the center to cover my big screen.  I like the white stuff Gary D. is using in the center of his Dodd Cave.  I tested the room by hanging a pair of sleeping bags over the big screen.  The change was dramatic.  The center stage went deeper. 

I'm going through the trial and error methode right now in tweeking the room.  Is there a scientific approach?

[S Clark]

...  Is there a scientific approach?

Now that is really the key question.  It seems like there are just too many possible configurations.  It makes you want to do standard placements and quit... except when I see what the pros do, it doesn't look standard at all.  Hopefully, Dave will have a chance to look in and put his 2 cents in. It's damn confusing. 

Scott

[Cheeseboy]

I could mimic what Gary Dodd has done to his room if there was a childs picture or friends family photo on each treatment.

[dBe]

Now that is really the key question.  It seems like there are just too many possible configurations.  It makes you want to do standard placements and quit... except when I see what the pros do, it doesn't look standard at all.  Hopefully, Dave will have a chance to look in and put his 2 cents in. It's damn confusing. 

Scott

I cannot tell you all how much I hate PC-Windows based computers!  #1 is one and it gets replaced with a MAC as soon as I can afford to do so.

After 3 days basically offline let me say this: Diffusion is a very good thing when used in conjunction with basic absorption.  Absorption is a must at first relection points, but diffusion works "most" other places. 

ALWAYS address the first order reflection points with absorption - wall, ceiling, floors.  These areas do not hve to be large soft mounts.  They  just ned to be large enough to cover the reflection point at the listening positions.  Beyond that basic ray tracing should be done to see where the secondary points are in the roon.  This is not hard - put a mirror on the walls and find out where the points are on these wall that will give a reflection on the listening position - these are the secondary (second order) reflection points.  Diffusers go there.  This inludes wher "YOU" can see the back of the louspseaker on the front wall.  DUH - the center point  on the front wall - and also the point in the back of the room where you can see the speaker.  It really is this simple.

If I can keep this Inte; quad core 2,8 GHz POS running long enough, I will try to post some simple ray tracings in the next day or so.

Bak to backup.

Dave

[Cheeseboy]

The first reflection spots are on the wall to the right and left, plus directly behind the speaker as well as the ceiling?  Is this correct?  Would this must have treatment regimine include the corners of the front wall? 

I have the line source 6 from GR Research so the treatment sizes need to match the driver placement? 

[HT cOz]

Floors too?  I thought a hard floor was a good thing because it is the only reflection point that we as humans always experiece.  If that is true then I need a rug on my hard wood floors.  I have Left/Right/Ceiling covered with huge built in boxes with 4" of rockwool. 

[S Clark]

With a LS, at least in theory, ceiling/floor reflections are diminished due to the comparitively reduce output horizontally.  I would guess that a ceiling absorber would have some effect, just not as much as with a typical box speaker.