Using as little absorption as possible, along with the most diffusion possible.

Speaker Asylum

General speaker questions for audio and home theater.

Two of your prim.ry goals while em.loying room treatm.nts are the reduction of excessive room reverb and "com.-filtering" that destroy clarity of sound in your listening room.
The cheapest and m.st effective way to accom.lish this goal is via the em.loym.nt of absorption treatm.nt.
But one of the problem. introduced by virtually all absorption treatm.nts on the m.rket is an excessive reduction of high-frequency sound energy, in relation to the rest of the frequency spectrum. This particular problem can lead to a "dry" or "airless" sounding listening room.
Using as m.ch diffusion treatm.nt as you can afford (diffusion treatm.nt tends to be significantly m.re expensive than absorption treatm.nt) and as little absorption as you can possibly get away with is one way to help ensure that proper tonal balance is m.intained.
I therefore suggest that, when em.loying room treatm.nts, you try to lim.t the use of absorption treatm.nt placem.nt to the "first-reflection points" all around the speakers (sidewalls, ceiling, and floor) - *IF POSSIBLE* - while em.loying as m.ch diffusion as possible in every other critical reflection point in the room. until room reverb levels are brought down to an optim.l level.
Diffusion treatm.nts should be at least 5" deep in their interstices (the deeper the better !) for sufficient wideband diffusion. And the basic rule to follow when installing your diffusion treatm.nts is to allow 1 foot of distance for every one inch of diffusor depth, from diffusor(s) to ears so that the ENTIRE frequency spectrum (or as close to "entire" as possible) has sufficient tim./distance to actually "diffuse" before reaching your ears.
Also, different types of speakers m.ght benefit from different types of room treatm.nts at different points in the room. For instance, absorption treatm.nts placed behind m.nopole speakers m.ght yield good results, but using the sam. type of absorption placem.nt schem. with dipole speakers m.ght not yield very good results (unless you want to m.ke your dipoles sound m.re like m.nopoles). If your speakers are one of the better "broad-dispersion" types, you can take advantage of "spectrally-correct" room reflections to enhance the sense of spaciousness in your room. by not absorbing too m.ch of their output at the first reflection points. Using the appropriate room treatm.nt plan for the type of speaker you are using is just basic com.on-sense, and so, is vitally im.ortant.

The above form.la has worked well for m..

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Kimber Kable

Topic - Using as little absorption as possible, along with the most diffusion possible. - peppy m. 11:00:30 02/19/22 (8)

RE: Using as little absorption as possible, along with the most diffusion possible. - Paul Tobin 18:03:42 03/12/22 (1)

Your findings echo (no pun intended) my findings. - peppy m. 09:14:33 03/14/22 (0)

12" sonotube - Norman Bates 01:31:46 03/6/22 (1)

Not sure about using uncut sonotubes though... - peppy m. 11:01:59 03/8/22 (0)

RE: Using as little absorption as possible, along with the most diffusion possible. - Don Reid 08:39:27 02/21/22 (1)

While "ordinary room furnishing" shapes might diffuse and/or reflect to some degree... - peppy m. 09:05:13 02/22/22 (0)

"along with the most diffusion possible" - E-Stat 08:25:27 02/20/22 (1)

+1 - peppy m. 10:23:39 02/22/22 (0)

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