The Importance of Room Treatments

[cmsajith]

See what you can do...

In your situation, I would MUCH MUCH rather diffract sound off the ceiling that purely absorb it.

Why not have your kaarigar build you something like this.

Problem solved dost

You want to read about "acoustic diffusers"...just ask professor Google for the rest.

So what you mean to say is that we should not have any absorption panels in the ceiling?

Also as per the above pic the diffuser is having a vertical alignment, Is it ok if we put horizontal boxes instead (4 x 4 inch in cross-section) with 2 ft' distance b/n two planks? If required, the space b/n the 2 boxes can be attached with a surface with a slight slope some facing towards the backside and some towards front side of the room, a modified version of the last picture in the post : http://www.hifivision.com/av-enhanc...0-importance-room-treatments-2.html#post74749.
How this design would be?
Picture attached.

 

[doors666]

Hi,

My speakers have one driver that does 27Hz up to 40Khz. Below 27Hz is handled by two subwoofers (one for each channel, which you can see behind the speakers). That is how I get my deep base. It is a very unique listening experience.

What drivers are you using in your speakers and subs. I guess these are diy right? Are you actually crossing over at 27hz.

 

[shaizada]

These are not DIY.

I apologize....I've made a mistake in my frequency ranges. It is 45Hz to 18Khz for the main drivers. Subs handle down to 26Hz. Crossover is at 50Hz for my room.

I had those frequencies in my mind from a headphone discussion I was having earlier. My apologies for that discrepancy.

Omega Speaker Systems - Products > Super 8 Alnico Series

 

[shaizada]

So what you mean to say is that we should not have any absorption panels in the ceiling?

Also as per the above pic the diffuser is having a vertical alignment, Is it ok if we put horizontal boxes instead (4 x 4 inch in cross-section) with 2 ft' distance b/n two planks? If required, the space b/n the 2 boxes can be attached with a surface with a slight slope some facing towards the backside and some towards front side of the room, a modified version of the last picture in the post : http://www.hifivision.com/av-enhanc...0-importance-room-treatments-2.html#post74749.
How this design would be?
Picture attached.

That design will be fine as well. The idea is to scatter the sound waves. I actually think the horizontal way would be better. If you put spaces in between, you will get a somewhat weird diffusion pattern. I will keep the diffusion continuous throughout the size you plan to do. Just to keep things even in that regard.

 

[cmsajith]

That design will be fine as well. The idea is to scatter the sound waves. I actually think the horizontal way would be better. If you put spaces in between, you will get a somewhat weird diffusion pattern. I will keep the diffusion continuous throughout the size you plan to do. Just to keep things even in that regard.

This will be for a living room setup in an apartment, so aesthetics is the first preference.

 

[santhosh]

@Shaizada: Is there any calculation involved while designing a diffusor? Or does any pattern that scatters sound work well? I ask this because when sound is diffused, it is reflected in all directions (preferably away from the listening position otherwise it would have the same damaging effect of a first reflection). This reflected sound is again reflected\absorbed or diffused. How does one desing a diffusor such that sound is not reflected towards the listening position? Also, I have read that sound treatment (especially sound absorption) has to be symmetric. How important is symmetry for diffusion?
For Eg: left and right side of a room get same treatment at the same points

This will be for a living room setup in an apartment, so aesthetics is the first preference.

How about this one? This one looks too plane in my opinion. You can further improve its looks by adding some cornices around the grid like structure.

or this one

Do a Google Image search for "acoustic coffered ceiling" and you'll find several other designs too.

 

[shaizada]

@Shaizada: Is there any calculation involved while designing a diffusor? Or does any pattern that scatters sound work well? I ask this because when sound is diffused, it is reflected in all directions (preferably away from the listening position otherwise it would have the same damaging effect of a first reflection). This reflected sound is again reflected\absorbed or diffused. How does one desing a diffusor such that sound is not reflected towards the listening position? Also, I have read that sound treatment (especially sound absorption) has to be symmetric. How important is symmetry for diffusion?
For Eg: left and right side of a room get same treatment at the same points


How about this one? This one looks too plane in my opinion. You can further improve its looks by adding some cornices around the grid like structure.

or this one

Do a Google Image search for "acoustic coffered ceiling" and you'll find several other designs too.

Having a cathedral ceiling, I never really had to get into diffusion myself. I'm afraid I don't have the detailed knowledge required to give you an honest and informative response.

I KNOW that diffusion is the way to go for the type of ceilings we have in normal rooms. I suggest you start reading and researching this before you move forward with a project.

Here is a basic link to get you started. Learn from it, but don't look into the actual product they are selling. I've found Auralex products to actually be quite inferior.

http://www.oakwoodbroadcast.com/product_docs/2957_1_difuse.pdf

 

[square_wave]

I was trying to avoid taking this path as I believed that by spending big money and bigger brand names one feels he/she will eliminate or overcome the obstacles which will give immense pleasure but then in my shortsighteness missed on the laws of Physics.

This is a big mistake people make during their initial years into this hobby. People learn through mistakes hence there is no point in harping about it because nobody ever listens. They just want to spend money on the latest shiny new model 10.1 or 11.3 or whatever with the latest gizmodo lateral epilated tweeter or whatever. I can see the marketing guys laughing all the way to the bank

I can share my experience if it will help. I was fortunate enough to meet this elderly audiophile some 8 years back. He has a reasonably sized room which is very well treated. He got some bass traps too which takes care of bass anomalies created by the room.
He has equipment which are decades old. He turns on the music I was startled to hear how effortless and clean the sound was. I had heard some other badly setup gear costing 4 times the cost of what this gentleman has. Believe me, they cannot even come close to what he had achieved.
The room is very important. Perhaps the most important component of all.

One more thing, In the last one and a half decades there is hardly any improvements in core audio technology relating to loudspeakers and amplifiers. In budget to mid budget levels, the older models are better in most cases. Digital gear and the processor section in AV receivers have improved considerably over the years though.

Instead of going into horizontal upgrades one should concentrate on correct setup and room treatment to extract the best out of a system.

 

[cmsajith]

This kind of ceiling design will be more suited for rooms with height more than 12ft, coz' it will give an impression of a closed ceiling and make the ceiling more closer. So it cannot be used in a room with height around 8.6ft. Moreover this can act as sound collectors than diffusers. Probably i will stick to the horizontal ceiling with a small slope b/n the planks.

@Shaizada: Is there any calculation involved while designing a diffusor? Or does any pattern that scatters sound work well? I ask this because when sound is diffused, it is reflected in all directions (preferably away from the listening position otherwise it would have the same damaging effect of a first reflection). This reflected sound is again reflected\absorbed or diffused. How does one desing a diffusor such that sound is not reflected towards the listening position? Also, I have read that sound treatment (especially sound absorption) has to be symmetric. How important is symmetry for diffusion?
For Eg: left and right side of a room get same treatment at the same points


How about this one? This one looks too plane in my opinion. You can further improve its looks by adding some cornices around the grid like structure.

or this one

Do a Google Image search for "acoustic coffered ceiling" and you'll find several other designs too.

 

[santhosh]

This kind of ceiling design will be more suited for rooms with height more than 12ft, coz' it will give an impression of a closed ceiling and make the ceiling more closer. So it cannot be used in a room with height around 8.6ft. Moreover this can act as sound collectors than diffusers. Probably i will stick to the horizontal ceiling with a small slope b/n the planks.

Sure, go for the horizontal ceiling, and yes the slope is a good idea for diffusion.

Please correct me if I am wrong. My acoustics experience is only based on what I have read online. I doubt if the coffered ceiling will work as a sound collector rather than a diffuser - even if your ceiling is 8.6 ft. Here, the sound waves are forced to fit into smaller squares which itself reduces their original energy. Then, when reflection happens with in the square, they cancel themselves further and what ever is dispersed out of the square has very little energy to cause any damage to your audio quality.

Also, I have read that when smaller rooms when properly treated with diffusion can give you a feeling that the room is much larger.