Room Acoustics to reduce Echo.

Prodigy

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Hi All,
Looking for some inputs from the experts here on how to reduce the echo in my room and see what is the kind of treatments that I may have to go in for to solve my problems.
I did contact a few guys to do room Acoustics and I have received quotes for around a Lakh to treat the walls with 9mm polyester acoustic boards on all the walls end to end.
So basically, I recently moved to a newly built house and I have a secondary living room in the 1st floor. The dimensions are 15 X 24.
I am also adding some pics do you can get a fair idea of what the size is.
On one of the sides it’s a 12 feet window and I am planning for acoustic curtains or some dual layer thick curtains for that and I am planning on Diy route to make some rockwool 2X4 Pannel and hang them on the places using the mirror technique.
I am pretty confused so thought of putting it here.
 

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IMHO, put in your furniture along with your carpets, curtains etc. Then hear your system. After that only start with dedicated acoustic treatments. Start with your first reflection points, after that may be bass traps and all....

No point in blindly doing an entire wall acoustic treatment unless you hear what all can be handled by the above suggested methods.
 
Hi All,
Looking for some inputs from the experts here on how to reduce the echo in my room and see what is the kind of treatments that I may have to go in for to solve my problems.
I did contact a few guys to do room Acoustics and I have received quotes for around a Lakh to treat the walls with 9mm polyester acoustic boards on all the walls end to end.
So basically, I recently moved to a newly built house and I have a secondary living room in the 1st floor. The dimensions are 15 X 24.
I am also adding some pics do you can get a fair idea of what the size is.
On one of the sides it’s a 12 feet window and I am planning for acoustic curtains or some dual layer thick curtains for that and I am planning on Diy route to make some rockwool 2X4 Pannel and hang them on the places using the mirror technique.
I am pretty confused so thought of putting it here.
Nice pad you've got there.
If putting a screen/TV in this space you'll need dark curtains to block out as much light as possible.
If it is for a stereo setup you may leave it semi-transparent.
Any treatment should be after you furnish and host your rig.
There are many local FMs who have done DIY room treatment.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
Hi,

Would advise you to go through the forum on similar HT builds and learn from what others have done and in some cases what people have missed. No point in everyone writing the same things in every thread.

Think through the entire room, use a room designer app to decide where you will install the projector, speakers, seating, carpets, ceiling, curtains...

Check out the amount of absorption needed for a room of your size with the likely furniture in mind.

Use a room mode calculator like this one https://amcoustics.com/tools/amroc?l=24&w=15&h=12&ft=true&r60=0.6 as that will be the most difficult to control.

While I am assuming its HT, but do define the need, the likely setup and then start planning for the acoustics.
 
I am pretty confused so thought of putting it here.

I do not have the experience of treating my room space for echo.. However, once you have soft furnishing in the room like sofa, cushions, echo should reduce.. If you still hear echoes, then it should be possible to further reduce them by adding acoustic foams / high density rockwool slabs.. Don't think you will need to do it for the entire room end to end wall.. A portion of ceiling should do..

There are acoustic ceiling tiles which you can also consider for aesthetic purpose, not sure of the cost.. But you can enquire them and check feasibility..
 
IMHO, put in your furniture along with your carpets, curtains etc. Then hear your system. After that only start with dedicated acoustic treatments. Start with your first reflection points, after that may be bass traps and all....

No point in blindly doing an entire wall acoustic treatment unless you hear what all can be handled by the above suggested methods.
Sure. That will be a good starting point I think rather jumping into conclusions. At moment even 2 people talking there is also a lot of echo. I have ordered for some furniture’s and waiting for those to arrive from Jodhpur. Once it reaches here probably will set up the equipment’s I have and see how it sounds.
I was also thinking of a getting some racks made for AV Gears. Do you suggest any readymade racks or wooden ones are better. ?
 
I do not have the experience of treating my room space for echo.. However, once you have soft furnishing in the room like sofa, cushions, echo should reduce.. If you still hear echoes, then it should be possible to further reduce them by adding acoustic foams / high density rockwool slabs.. Don't think you will need to do it for the entire room end to end wall.. A portion of ceiling should do..

There are acoustic ceiling tiles which you can also consider for aesthetic purpose, not sure of the cost.. But you can enquire them and check feasibility..
I did check on the acoustic ceiling tiles and they are quite expensive around 120 per sqft +. Labor. It may also require aluminium channels or wooden to get them placed like the ones in office space.
 
IMHO, put in your furniture along with your carpets, curtains etc. Then hear your system. After that only start with dedicated acoustic treatments. Start with your first reflection points, after that may be bass traps and all....

No point in blindly doing an entire wall acoustic treatment unless you hear what all can be handled by the above suggested methods.

+1
 
Nice pad you've got there.
If putting a screen/TV in this space you'll need dark curtains to block out as much light as possible.
If it is for a stereo setup you may leave it semi-transparent.
Any treatment should be after you furnish and host your rig.
There are many local FMs who have done DIY room treatment.

Cheers,
Raghu
I’ll set up the basics 1st like the furniture, Carpets and other things and see how much echo is there and then further looks for absorbers and diffusers
 
Sure. That will be a good starting point I think rather jumping into conclusions. At moment even 2 people talking there is also a lot of echo. I have ordered for some furniture’s and waiting for those to arrive from Jodhpur. Once it reaches here probably will set up the equipment’s I have and see how it sounds.
I was also thinking of a getting some racks made for AV Gears. Do you suggest any readymade racks or wooden ones are better. ?
Well ....
It is a bare room, so it will echo.
On AV Rack and treatment, wait till the furniture arrives.
Then you can decide on things like glass/wood, acoustic panels (with artful covers) etc
If you know a good carpenter, a custom wood/ply AV rack should not be difficult.
You have the luxury of space, so you can design a rack based on your needs and equipment.
Here is a simple one that will not cost a bomb.
Cheers,
Raghu
 
I have recently built a dedicated room ( 12.5*22.5 feet )
At first, with nothing in there, the echo was so much that two people even couldnt talk properly in the room.
I had the carpet planned, and hoped it would reduce echo to a good extent. I put down a black carpet ( all over ) with 12mm hitlon sheets and the carpet thickness is 8mm.

The Echo dropped to 90%. My walls are still bare, will treat those once i get the Projector.
Keep in mind, treating the first reflection points MAY kill your open soundstage.
 
I have recently built a dedicated room ( 12.5*22.5 feet )
At first, with nothing in there, the echo was so much that two people even couldnt talk properly in the room.
I had the carpet planned, and hoped it would reduce echo to a good extent. I put down a black carpet ( all over ) with 12mm hitlon sheets and the carpet thickness is 8mm.

The Echo dropped to 90%. My walls are still bare, will treat those once i get the Projector.
Keep in mind, treating the first reflection points MAY kill your open soundstage.
So you mean to say just carpet on the floor did not work but just solved 10% of the echo.
 
Dropped by 90%

I think it's very clear now.
Yeah! That’s great then. Carpet and some furniture should more or less solve the problem for me then. Let me try and look for some carpets then.
could you please share something on the type of carpet used?? Please.
Also if you may post some pictures of it as I can look for something similar.
I am planning to set up my HT in a similar fashion. I have a living room in 1st floor which is if same dimensions as you mentioned.
 
I dont have a closer pic of the carpet right now, this is the picture of my room with carpet installed. It's just a basic black carpet ( 8mm thickness ) and 12mm thickness of underpadding ( hitlon sheet )
I would suggest you not to overspend on Carpets. Plus make sure you have underpadding as it is very very important.
I needed Black, so it served my purpose. My walls are still dark grey and they reflect off light which will be treated once i get a Projector. I can post a closer pic of the carpet if you want once i get to home, in office currently.

Total cost of Carpet plus Underpadding and installation came out to be 35k for me.IMG-20200623-WA0014.jpg
 
Do you folks check the fire retardant / flammamble properties of acoustic damping material before decorating the house with it. I hope these things are safe...
 
Do you folks check the fire retardant / flammamble properties of acoustic damping material before decorating the house with it. I hope these things are safe...

Valid point! Me for instance, have not really bothered about the same when i did home theatre in my previous home. Should have done that! Will be doing the same for new place. Great point man!!
 
I dont have a closer pic of the carpet right now, this is the picture of my room with carpet installed. It's just a basic black carpet ( 8mm thickness ) and 12mm thickness of underpadding ( hitlon sheet )
I would suggest you not to overspend on Carpets. Plus make sure you have underpadding as it is very very important.
I needed Black, so it served my purpose. My walls are still dark grey and they reflect off light which will be treated once i get a Projector. I can post a closer pic of the carpet if you want once i get to home, in office currently.

Total cost of Carpet plus Underpadding and installation came out to be 35k for me.View attachment 47926

Whats the room size? Why black carpet? I am thinking this will be primarily for theater and then for stereo, right?
 
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