Room accoustic treatments

[Overdose]

What exactly are accoustic treatments and how would you know if your room would benefit from them?

I presume it's something to do with minimising sound reflections?

 

[Inter_Voice]

It is really difficult to expalin in a few words. I suggest you google "room acoustics" and there are lots of good forum on this topic. Actually I learnt a lot on the topic from the various discussion forum and you may wish to see the link in my signature on some of my sound improvement work in my room.

 

[Anonymous]

Watch this, go to around 6 minutes for the examples...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dB8H0HFMylo&feature=related

*in reality, all rooms would benefit, but adding pictures, rugs, anything really all helps reduce reflections. I used to have a listening area with a large expanse of wooden floor between me and the speakers and a simple rug made a huge difference.

ie Try to treat flat, reflective surfaces...not necessarily with the pro kit as in the video, but with sensible, household furnishings. 🙂

 

[CnoEvil]

OD, you could do worse than get in touch with this crowd:
http://www.advancedacoustics-uk.com/highendaudio/

 

[Overdose]

Thanks for the info everyone. Looks interesting.

It might be cheaper to drape my room with the Bayeaux Tapestry than some of the products though.

 

[lindsayt]

I like dual purpose room treatments.

Carpets.

Big soft sofas to lounge in.

A couple of large Ikea Expedit book-cases for storing thousands of records.

Thick soft wallpaper. Etc etc.

 

[Inter_Voice]

What exactly are accoustic treatments and how would you know if your room would benefit from them?

I presume it's something to do with minimising sound reflections?

There are some good reading materiasl in this link on room treatment:

http://www.realtraps.com/art_basics.htm

 

[dannycanham]

You don't need specialist products. If anything you should avoid them. Destroying the aesthetic appeal of a room is proven time and time again to be an awful awful idea when it comes to enjoying music. Sofas, rugs, carpets, underlay, thick curtains, book cases, furniture, bumpy wallpaper and good positioning of components are the key.

Make your room a warm, pleasant, cosy, enjoyable place to listen whilst at the same time giving your compoents and your head space from walls and each other. Basically don't let your room resemble an art gallery on one extreme or a semi anechoic chamber at the other or a full cupboard at another extreme.

Your environment plays a large part in your enjoyment. It isn't all about getting flat responses with measuring equipment. Those rooms don't make pleasant listening rooms. They only make good rooms for technical measurements and technical critiquing.

 

[CnoEvil]

You don't need specialist products. If anything you should avoid them. Destroying the aesthetic appeal of a room is proven time and time again to be an awful awful idea when it comes to enjoying music. Sofas, rugs, carpets, underlay, thick curtains, book cases, furniture, bumpy wallpaper and good positioning of components are the key.

Make your room a warm, pleasant, cosy, enjoyable place to listen whilst at the same time giving your compoents and your head space from walls and each other. Basically don't let your room resemble an art gallery on one extreme or a semi anechoic chamber at the other or a full cupboard at another extreme.

Your environment plays a large part in your enjoyment. It isn't all about getting flat responses with measuring equipment. Those rooms don't make pleasant listening rooms. They only make good rooms for technical measurements and technical critiquing.

By and large I agree with you, but in the light of the OP's question, it makes sense to steer him towards information that he can check out, and satisfy his curiosity.
I have met the guys involved in the company that I linked to, and they are knowledgeable, helpful, and more than capable of improving a room with taste and subtlety.
I have also heard first hand what their products can do.

As you say though, most cases can be solved satisfactorily with a bit "reading-up" and clever decorating.....where this isn't possible, call in the experts.