[poseidonsvoice]

I've tried several alternatives, some more expensive and some less, and No-Rez performs the best in my opinion.  I now use No-Rez in several of my commercial products.

When I tried Sonic Barrier, one of the problems was the sticky.  Sometimes it wasn't sticky enough, and sometimes the sticky side would separate from the foam when I was trying to peel the backing off (I've never had either problem with No-Rez).  Now that was a few years ago and perhaps those problems have been solved, but even so it doesn't have the dual properties of the No-Rez.

Danny's suggestion of tile with foam on top is probably a very good low-cost alternative; he has put a lot of thought and energy into addressing these issues so his suggestions here are very well qualified.

FWIW,

Myself and Mike Galusha both use No Rez in our Abbey cabinets to a positive effect. I don't know if I could justify the cost on using them on LS9's or something big like that but to each his own as they say.

I've used roof tiling as was mentioned earlier and it is good at dampening resonances and very cheap as well. It takes a little bit more legwork/glueing etc...but if cost is an issue, its a nice way to go.

Anand.

[Duke]

One further advantage of No-Rez is that if you act quickly, you can correct a screw-up... you know, that "oh crap" moment right after you press it in place when you realize that's not where it was supposed to go.  I can carefully peel it off and re-position it and it still sticks just great.  If I wait too long though, it doesn't want to let go of the cabinet wall and some of the sticky can get left on the wood, and/or some of the wood will peel off and still be stuck to the sticky. 

[dB Cooper]

An excellent option is Plast-i-Clay, recommended by Audio by Van Alstine. It is a permanently soft modeling clay. Cheap, effective, and does an excellent job. I have damped speaker cabinets and baskets, turntable bases, and more with it, with improvements ranging from worthwhile to dramatic. It is also easily removable.

[Danny Richie]

I've only heard good things about Whispermat...

From my site regarding (without naming it) Whispermat:

Many other products used in this application often suspend a barrier layer sandwiched between foam layers. This can have some isolation benefit, but does little to control enclosure resonances.

This isolation layer is typically used in noise control pads to keep sound in some frequency ranges from passing from one side of the barrier to the other. This type of material is typically used in industrial applications to reduce sound produced by noisy machinery. This can sometimes have an adverse effect in some loudspeaker designs if used with a heavy coverage as the suspended layer can mass load the woofer to some extent.

Some material sold for use in loudspeakers incorporate this sound barrier layer with no damper at all. So it has little to no effectiveness in resonance control.

While some of these barrier pads may cost very little, using it in a loudspeaker can often be of very little value other than its effectiveness to absorb internal standing waves with its open cell foam layers. If it has no damping layer then it will not be effective for resonance control.

I have some AV123 X-SLS Encore towers and was advised to use No-Rez, but also don't feel it is justified because they just don't sound that good to start with. It will make some difference, sure, but won't cure their excessive politeness and bass wooliness...

Okay now that is a head scratcher.  The monitor version with Ninja Mods kicked butt in the small monitor shoot out at Stereo Mojo. The SLS version is the same speaker but plays lower. Excessive politeness and wooley bass is not something I would associate with those speakers. No Rez will tighten up the bass, but those speakers are already giant killers.

And thanks Duke!

[wushuliu]

An excellent option is Plast-i-Clay, recommended by Audio by Van Alstine. It is a permanently soft modeling clay. Cheap, effective, and does an excellent job. I have damped speaker cabinets and baskets, turntable bases, and more with it, with improvements ranging from worthwhile to dramatic. It is also easily removable.

oh man, that's pretty ghetto... but it would be a good option for someone who has kids. "Hey guys I know a fun game we can play. it's called Speaker Splat and it goes like this..."

[wushuliu]

From my site regarding (without naming it) Whispermat:

Many other products used in this application often suspend a barrier layer sandwiched between foam layers. This can have some isolation benefit, but does little to control enclosure resonances.

This isolation layer is typically used in noise control pads to keep sound in some frequency ranges from passing from one side of the barrier to the other. This type of material is typically used in industrial applications to reduce sound produced by noisy machinery. This can sometimes have an adverse effect in some loudspeaker designs if used with a heavy coverage as the suspended layer can mass load the woofer to some extent.

Some material sold for use in loudspeakers incorporate this sound barrier layer with no damper at all. So it has little to no effectiveness in resonance control.

While some of these barrier pads may cost very little, using it in a loudspeaker can often be of very little value other than its effectiveness to absorb internal standing waves with its open cell foam layers. If it has no damping layer then it will not be effective for resonance control.

And thanks Duke!

True, it doesn't tackle the issue of resonance control. Forgot about that.

[raindance]

@Danny - the AV123 speakers are giant killers at the price I paid for them ($180), but I feel they'd probably be better in monitor form as the added bass makes them sound very British and laid back. And they don't come even close to my 18 or so year old Vandersteens.

[Hugh]

Oops, my bad.

I meant to say 'your' and mistyped as 'our'.

Please speak for yourself.
If it is too much work for you..... just take some time off. 

[poseidonsvoice]

One more option I remember. It was called North Creek "Glop." Basically composed of 1 part of drywall compound and 2 parts of Aileen's soft tacky glue, you mix it together in a trough, and then layer onto the interior walls of the enclosure avoiding the edges where the walls meet (and where glop is less effective). You still need something to control the standing waves such as Dacron, Wool, Acoustastuff, etc...

The "Glop" is what I used to coat the interior of my speaker stands (which are hollow) prior to filling the stands up with sand. Very dead now!

Calling up North Creek Music and getting a copy of the North Creek Cabinet guide is very useful, and George Short can help with locating the ingredients for "Glop" mentioned above.

Anand.

[jmc207]

The "Glop" I used in my old 1994 North Creek Borealis speakers was a mixture of sand and Aleene's Tacky Glue. Don't remember the ratio, probably similar to what you stated.

[Danny Richie]

@Danny - the AV123 speakers are giant killers at the price I paid for them ($180), but I feel they'd probably be better in monitor form as the added bass makes them sound very British and laid back. And they don't come even close to my 18 or so year old Vandersteens.

Sounds like there is something wrong with them. The bigger box only effects the response from about 60Hz and down compared to the monitors. When I tested them they had bass that would beat the band. Adding sand in the bottom section made them really solid too.

I'd put a fully modded pair up against something like the Merlins top model in a heart beat. They really are that good.

I'd suspect something else to be causing the problem.

[Mariusz]

Can we please try to keep it relevant - it can get out of hand and quick. 

Thank You
Mariusz

[dB Cooper]

oh man, that's pretty ghetto... but it would be a good option for someone who has kids. "Hey guys I know a fun game we can play. it's called Speaker Splat and it goes like this..."

Mr. Van Alstine treated just the basket of a small bookshelf speaker this way at the B&W factory once (the other speaker was left untreated). B&W's testing showed that speaker basket resonances were reduced by 20dB (a factor of 4 btw). The improvements would have been more if the cabinet had been lined too. If that's "ghetto", fine by me. Doesn't seem more ghetto than roofing tiles at any rate. Just More info: http://www.avahifi.com/images/avahifi/root/audio_basics/ab_pdf/ab1982.pdf

[wushuliu]

Mr. Van Alstine treated just the basket of a small bookshelf speaker this way at the B&W factory once (the other speaker was left untreated). B&W's testing showed that speaker basket resonances were reduced by 20dB (a factor of 4 btw). The improvements would have been more if the cabinet had been lined too. If that's "ghetto", fine by me. Doesn't seem more ghetto than roofing tiles at any rate. More info: http://www.avahifi.com/images/avahifi/root/audio_basics/ab_pdf/ab1982.pdf

Just kidding around, no harm meant. I've tried out plasticlay with turntable damping myself 

[dB Cooper]

Aww, you rascal! Has anyone ever told you that you look like Al Pacino?

[django11]

Thanks for all the input guys!

[jtwrace]

FWIW,

Myself and Mike Galusha both use No Rez in our Abbey cabinets to a positive effect.

Mike Galusha still has the Abbey's?  His review said it wasn't going to be his last pair so I figured they would be gone by now. 

[TomS]

Mike Galusha still has the Abbey's?  His review said it wasn't going to be his last pair so I figured they would be gone by now.

Um, yes he still has them (with NoRez  )...   Could this be the review quote you're referring to?
 
"Will these be my last speakers? Probably not but I don't see them leaving my system for a long time."

[jtwrace]

Um, yes he still has them (with NoRez  )...   Could this be the review quote you're referring to?
 
"Will these be my last speakers? Probably not but I don't see them leaving my system for a long time."

That would be it!  I believe that was 2 yrs ago.  Right?  Guess his long time and mine are a bit different.   

[TomS]

That would be it!  I believe that was 2 yrs ago.  Right?  Guess his long time and mine are a bit different.   

Ah ha, so maybe you're in the BigRedMachine keep it for a nanosecond or two club