[zybar]

Glenn or Bryan,

I moved into a new house back in October and want to add some additional room treatments to my dedicated space.  As you can see from the diagram below, the room is rectangular in shape and the dimensions are 21'10" x 12' 10" x 7' 9".  There is a single door to enter the room and one corner has a door for entry into a closet that houses my NAS, whole house video, and other equipment.  The stars represent the general location for the speakers (Vandy 5A's) and the other icon is my listening chair.




While I already have a good deal of room treatments for first reflection points and rear diffusion, I would like to add the following:

-  Three art panels on the wall behind the speakers (area 2 in the diagram)

What is the recommended thickness for the panels - 2" or 3.5"?

-  Bass traps in the corners behind the speakers (areas 1 and 3 in the diagram)

Which product do you recommend and why - tri-trap corner or soffit bass trap?

The left corner has a door there, so I need a solution that is relatively portable and easy to move when I need to get into that closet.

I'll try and snap a few pics later tonight and add it to the thread.

Thanks,

George

[Hipper]

I use GIK products in my room and so can offer the following advice. See my gallery for how this room is set up.

Your number one priority should be bass traps. If you can afford and accommodate Soffit Traps, that would be better then Tri-traps - compare the test results on the GIK site. It seems the most effective corners to start with are the wall/wall ones behind the speakers, then I'd guess the wall/wall corners behind your chair. As you room is 7'9" high, if you chose two Soffit traps for each corner you would need to order one that is a special size. These soffit traps can sit on each other without securing to the wall and they are not heavy so would be easy to move for access in corner 1. Maybe you could use Tri-traps in the angled corner (or perhaps even a second set of Tri-traps outside the room by that corner - GIK could tell you if that would do anything).

After the corners, Monster panels on the back wall would be next. They can either be secured to the wall or used with feet. I found the wooden feet effective and also makes it easy to try different locations.

Side wall reflections. I don't do anything about these. Some say side wall reflections enhance the sound. You should experiment. You may have a problem with uneven reflections though as you have a window on one side. If that window is a reflection point I see two possibilities. Firstly you could put another 'window' on the left wall - a mirror or glass covered picture perhaps. Or you could use acoustic panels to even things up. Side wall reflections are a concern over 200Hz or so, so smaller panels like the 242 would be good. I do not recommend the Scatter Plate for this position as I think you sit too close to the panel. Again having these panels with feet increases flexibility.

In my room the panels on the front wall between the speakers have scatter plates.

I am of course no expert but that is what seems to work for me. If I could I would have still more Soffit traps.

[Glenn Kuras]

-  Three art panels on the wall behind the speakers (area 2 in the diagram)

What is the recommended thickness for the panels - 2" or 3.5"?

If possible I would recommend the 3.5".

-  Bass traps in the corners behind the speakers (areas 1 and 3 in the diagram)

Which product do you recommend and why - tri-trap corner or soffit bass trap?

If they can fit your room and budget, I would recommend the Soffit Traps. All rooms need a much and as large of bass traps as possible.  Basically the Tri Trap does a excellent job even below 50hz but the Soffit reaches 40hz pretty well. In the end both will work, so it really comes down to budget and room.

[zybar]

Thanks Glenn and Hipper for responding.

I talked to Bryan and will be moving forward with 3 1/2" art panels and a few soffit traps.

Will place the order later this week.

George

[jimdgoulding]

George, hi and congratulations on your new setting.  In the illustration looks like one speaker is further into the room from its adjacent wall than the other.  I'm gonna guess that is meant to give you easier access to the door.  Might I suggest that you put them equidistant from their respective walls when listening.  Of course, you would want to center your chair in that case and feel free to move it more forward or more backward for perspective.  That is to say that nearer the plane of your speaks you might/should sense more intimacy with the stage and the players that occupy it while moving back some the focus will likely shift to the hall and the bigger overall picture.  I find both satisfying listening to orchestral music made on location tho it's recording dependent.  Hope you will, too, and I'd bet on it.

[zybar]

Speakers will be equidistant from the side and front wall.  My rush to get a diagram posted showed otherwise.   

George

[jimdgoulding]

Speakers will be equidistant from the side and front wall.  My rush to get a diagram posted showed otherwise.   

George

Happy listening, good sir.  No doubt a foregone conclusion.  Equidistant from the front wall?  I'm out of my depth there, but should think that distance would benefit your experience overall were it deeper.  Less the chance of waveforms being reinforced at the same time.

[SoCalWJS]

Thanks Glenn and Hipper for responding.

I talked to Bryan and will be moving forward with 3 1/2" art panels and a few soffit traps.

Will place the order later this week.

George

Congrats on the purchases! I love the GIK products I've purchased and am happy with the improvements. Glenn is a good guy to talk to.

Hope that you are able to post some listening impressions after you get them installed.

[zybar]

Here is where the art panels will go:



I am also strongly considering putting the soffit bass traps at wall/floor boundary in place of my current bass traps.

I'll post pics once I have the panels installed.

George

[Rocket]

Hi George,

Are you still using Vandersteen 5A's as your main speakers?  I used to like your posts regarding the different equipment that you swapped through your system.  Your probably happy with what your using now?  I'm still happy with the HT3's and finally happy that the Ampzilla's are fixed.

Cheers Rod

[jimdgoulding]

I looked your "systems" link, George, and believe what you have or had going on there was excellent.  Damn fine system, btw.  Wouldn't mind if I did.

[zybar]

I am still using all of the equipment in my systems list, just a different room now.

Thanks guys for the compliments.   

George

[Glenn Kuras]

I am also strongly considering putting the soffit bass traps at wall/floor boundary in place of my current bass traps.

 .

It should make a pretty large improvement. What you have there now looks pretty thin which is used for upper frequencies.

[harley52]

 What about using some small hinges on the side of the treatment installed near the door. It would also entail use of a couple wood blocks so you'd be able to swing it to your left when wanting to get into the closet. Just a thought.
Good luck

[zybar]

It should make a pretty large improvement. What you have there now looks pretty thin which is used for upper frequencies.

They aren't that thin and actually work quite well...but this probably isn't the right place to discuss their performance.   

George

[zybar]

What about using some small hinges on the side of the treatment installed near the door. It would also entail use of a couple wood blocks so you'd be able to swing it to your left when wanting to get into the closet. Just a thought.
Good luck

I am good on the door.

I have the bass traps mounted on stands that makes them fairly portable.

George

[Glenn Kuras]

I am good on the door.

I have the bass traps mounted on stands that makes them fairly portable.

George

Oh they looked thin, but I think I know what those are.  I am sure they work pretty well.

[zybar]

Order being placed this afternoon.   

George

[zybar]

Here are a few pics of the front of the room with the treatments in place:





George

[OgOgilby]

Well done George

-Greg