[topher_m]

Hi,
I have asked this question a couple of different times over the past year but didn't seem to get any real input from the heavyweights - Dave A, Bryan, Ethan, etc.

What is the best method of simulating symmetry if your room is not symmetric?

Let's say left wall is 4 feet from speakers and right wall is 20 feet.
Can you hang a series of absorbers at 4 foot from the right speaker, symmetric to a pattern of absorbers on the left wall to fake some symmetry?

Would a reflective surface be better to fake symmetry than absorbative?

Would you use one of the tall folding absorbers near the speakers "funnelling" the sound out?

I understand symmetry is clearly best but not all of us can do it.
Wors of wisdom to overcome?

Thanks

[BobM]

I have that situation. I put a GIK panel on the wall to the right and put another one in the same approximate location in the space to the left. If I pull away that stand-alone panel on the left my imaging and center fill goes all to hell, but with it in place all is well.

[Ethan Winer]

Can you hang a series of absorbers at 4 foot from the right speaker, symmetric to a pattern of absorbers on the left wall to fake some symmetry?

Yes, and I've suggested that many times. I wouldn't bother putting anything reflective behind the absorbers to extend the symmetry to frequencies lower than the absorbers are effective to. Rather, I'd use fairly thick absorbers. I'm sure four inches thick would be adequate. One could even make a case for wanting a lack of symmetry at bass frequencies, to avoid the "center of the room" bass nulls. Imaging is mostly about mid and high frequencies, so absorbers that are effective from maybe 200 or 300 Hz and up should be fine.

--Ethan

[bpape]

There are different methods for helping with non-symmetry.

I recommend absorption on the wall that is close to the speakers to eliminate reflections that are not coming from the other side (or at least not early in time) due to the far wall distance.  This will not help with the difference in boundary reinforcement in the lower mids and bass but will help from the midrange up.

Bryan