Sound absorption behind speakers

[bumpy]

Sometimes one is forced to run speakers that require spacing from the rear wall a little too close for ideal performance.

Is this where sound absorption pads on the wall behind the speakers have a role to play, or is this too simplistic?

[Ammonite Audio]

A simple way to find out is to place pillows, loosely rolled duvets etc behind the speakers and then decide whether there is an improvement, before committing funds to a permanent installation. To have an effect at lower frequencies, acoustic absorption must have physical depth, hence why a loosely rolled duvet can be effective. Slim panels are not effective at lower frequencies.

You may well find out that absorption is not actually required and in many UK listening rooms there is already as much absorption as the room can take, in the form of soft furnishings, carpets and curtains. Adding more can tip a room towards anechoic, which is not nice. Often diffusion is the answer - audiophiles often confuse absorption and diffusion.

[bumpy]

You may well find out that absorption is not actually required and in many UK listening rooms there is already as much absorption as the room can take, in the form of soft furnishings, carpets and curtains. Adding more can tip a room towards anechoic, which is not nice. Often diffusion is the answer - audiophiles often confuse absorption and diffusion.

That sounds very interesting, can you elaborate or perhaps post a reference to a good article on the subject?

[bumpy]

I did find this thread which is not bad

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/low-...diffusion.html

[Macca]

Modern design means blinds instead of curtains, no carpets, no clutter of any kind and non-traditional (i.e not big and stuffed) furniture) so if your room is like that I'd expect some changes could be wrought by adding a bit more absorption and diffusion. If the photos of people's set ups are anything to go by a lot of people live like that now.

On thing never mentioned is that it does depend at what volume you play at. Quiet listening won't really get things bouncing around. My room has big stuffed couches and heavy floor to ceiling curtains, plus bookshelves and lots of irregularities that soak up a lot of the sound that bounces about. However I have notices that recently, since I improved things and can now play at much higher spl with no distortion, that the sound is bouncing around in the 'hard' space in the corner where the front door (which is just a plain, solid chunk of wood) and side wall (just plastered brick) meet just to the left of me as I listen. Never noticed this before in 18 years of listening in this room. Might need some absorption on the door I think.

Having the speakers 'too close' to the wall may not be so bad, depending on the speakers. Some sound better like that. Okay it does compromise imaging a little bit, it reduces the sense of depth, but half of what we call imaging is imaginary anyway. It depends how important that factor is to you. On the plus side it reinforces bass and makes it a little more 'solid'. It might be easier to change the speakers if they don't work well close to the wall, rather than stick a bunch of stuff behind them which, in itself, may not have a high WAF.