Nice pics Streetdaddy. Hope your "other hobbies" don't conflict with your "new tweak" . . . ;)

What kind of tubes does the shindo amp use?

How's the acoustic treatments assessment or possible changes coming along? Any diffusion consideration?

kevinzoe April 19, 2010 14:14

Thanks for the answer on what treatments you're using. RealTraps makes reputable products.

Have you tried pulling the bass traps on your front wall (behind the curtain) out from the wall 6"-7" to improve the low freq absorption? Resistive type bass traps with fibreglass are most effective when positioned so that they are 1/4 of the wavelength away from the wall. Which freq wavelength you ask? It should be the Schroeder (also called the Transition) frequence which for small residential rooms is about 300Hz to a more conservative 500Hz. One-quarter wavelengths are then 11.3" and 6.8" respectively, so try experimenting pulling them away by these amounts to improve the bass region.

Regarding the important WAF - I'd suggest you try listening with and without 1st reflection point absorption. Have you read Dr Floyd Toole's latest book? His years of acoustical research have shown that side wall latteral reflections (at 1st reflection points) are actually positive things by increasing the apparent source width. Another option is to try what I did which is to build a hemi-cylindrical diffuser with bass trap in its interior. The diffuser looks like an architectual column which will kill flutter echo's between the side walls and help with bass too. There's also the cool looking Skyline diffusers which when built with wood of your choice and stained look like a piece of art work . . .

Be careful not to over absorb the room. Remember that Ethan makes his living by selling you as many bass traps as you care to buy but bass traps don't stop absorbing at 300-500Hz so they over dampen the mid freq's too. One way to overcome this is to place a sheet of 1/4" plywood in front of the bass trap so mid/high frequencies are not absorbed. Sorry about being long winded - just trying to pass along some sound wisdom that has worked well for my room.

kevinzoe March 25, 2010 23:28

Kale - cool looking blue lights around the ceiling perimeter!! I bet that scores high WAF points. . .

What acoustic treatments are you using - are those absorption panels along the side walls horizontally oriented near the speakers? Have you considered diffusion within your room at all? Looks good as is though.

kevinzoe March 24, 2010 16:47