Question Wall treatment behind the speaker in stereo setup? why?

AJM1981

Well-known member
The urge to create a unity of treatment and stylistic choices aside...

I know the that any room treatment can make a reverb chamber sound like a great place to listen. But when not having any speakers that literally beam in two directions (electrostatic ones or a multi speaker setup e.g.), what is the reason the facing wall behind the speakers should be treated?

Most speakers beam forward and when a wave is absorbed in the direction it is going, it will not return to the wall the speaker is facing.

The best reason I could come up with is that the room is ready for any temporary multiple speaker dolby setup which absolutely makes sense in a studio. But other than that...

enlighten me :)
 

abacus

Well-known member
All flat walls, ceilings etc. reflect sound which interferes with the sound coming out of the speakers, (Your hearing processes more than what is coming out of the speakers) by having absorbent materials (Or even bookshelf’s etc.) it reduces the reflections allowing more of the sound from the speakers to come through, (Your hearing does not have to process so much information) the down side is that if you go too far you can make the room sound dead, which sounds unnatural to your hearing, hence professional help is always beneficial.

Bill
 

AJM1981

Well-known member
All flat walls, ceilings etc. reflect sound which interferes with the sound coming out of the speakers, (Your hearing processes more than what is coming out of the speakers) by having absorbent materials (Or even bookshelf’s etc.) it reduces the reflections allowing more of the sound from the speakers to come through, (Your hearing does not have to process so much information) the down side is that if you go too far you can make the room sound dead, which sounds unnatural to your hearing, hence professional help is always beneficial.

Bill

I know.

But in a case of a stereo setup with sound coming from the driver of the speaker and not from the back (as well..) like with electrostatic ones, any treatment of the wall behind the speaker doesn't add up the same way as treatment to walls that the speaker is beaming its waves to. When absorbers on the walls the speakers are beaming to are applied, the waves will not reach that particular wall at all.

There could be something to it that when someone is having a dialogue in that room or clapping hands, that people prefer the same conditions around 'apart' from the audio of the speakers. But it seems like some costs can be cut leaving that wall as it is.

By the way.. a$king a professional company for advice, they will treat any millimeter that can be treated with the finest stuff they can find. ;)
 
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But in a case of a stereo setup with sound coming from the driver of the speaker and not from the back (as well..) like with electrostatic ones, any treatment of the wall behind the speaker doesn't add up the same way as treatment to walls that the speaker is beaming its waves to
Speakers emit sound in all directions, from back and sides too. A good loudspeaker will limit this, but this is the reason why they are best in some free space.
 
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