Jimbos Audio ramblings

[Barry]

It all depends on the type of sound. For the intellegibility of speech, the size of the venue is quite different to that for music:

The reverberation time (RT₆₀) is proportional to the volume of the venue, that is, your listening room:

So in your case with a total volume of 2,587.5 cu ft, 300ms is about right. But these figures depend strongly on the absorption coeficients of the wall, floor and ceiling of the room, as well as those of the room's contents; and the coefficients are often frequency dependent.

Have you ever wondered why in cinemas, theatres and concert halls the seats are usually cushioned? It's partly for the comfort of the sitter, but it is also to mimic the sound absorption of a human body when the seat is unoccupied.

It's all a bit of a 'mine field' - so don't go overboard with it all!

[Jimbo]

I appreciate how the RT60 figure is also affected by room furnishings, never mind additional room treatment. Your mention of cushioned seats in a cinema is a good example of subtle acoustic manipulation.
I have three heavy padded sofas in my listening room plus thermal lined heavy curtains and carpet so taking those into account requires only small amounts of room treatment and it is only reflection points that I am trying to eliminate. I seriously need to get something on the ceiling but feel this could be a battle Royale with my listening partner!

[AJSki2fly]

Calculation for my room without treatment gives a RT60 time of 0.6, however with the treatment I have currently I am at about 0.4. I need to get down RT60 value to about 0.3 so more treatment definitely needed. Having just looked at a whole load of new material I really need to get some panels on the ceiling and also increase the number and size of some of my other panels.

I will have to step carefully in order to achieve this or else I will fall foul of the domestic control police!

Buy her some expensive luxury scatter cushions and some lovely soft wall hangings and tell her it’s to create a romantic atmosphere[emoji23]

[Jimbo]

Buy her some expensive luxury scatter cushions and some lovely soft wall hangings and tell her it’s to create a romantic atmosphere[emoji23]

The absorption panels are "soft wall hangings"

[Macca]

a panel on the ceiling needn't look bad and how often do we look at the ceiling anyway? Keep it the same colour as the rest of the ceiling and it won't be noticeable.

I've thought about it but getting one up there and keeping it up there seems like a logistical nightmare.

Ceiling is 9.5 feet high anyway so I've convinced myself it doesn't matter.

Whether it does matter depends on the vertical dispersion of the speaker in use. I don't have that measurement for my speakers so ignorance is bliss.

[Jimbo]

a panel on the ceiling needn't look bad and how often do we look at the ceiling anyway? Keep it the same colour as the rest of the ceiling and it won't be noticeable.

I've thought about it but getting one up there and keeping it up there seems like a logistical nightmare.

Ceiling is 9.5 feet high anyway so I've convinced myself it doesn't matter.

Whether it does matter depends on the vertical dispersion of the speaker in use. I don't have that measurement for my speakers so ignorance is bliss.

If you have a ceiling over 15 feet high its effect on the sound from you speakers disappears so no treatment needed. I have been listening to the New Record Day videos and his demonstration using binaural sound in headphones gives an astonishing insight into exactly what room treatment does. As he proceeds through different parts of the treatment from bass traps to first reflection etc and dispersion you can very easily hear the differences before and after.

Ceiling treatment is essential in my book once you have heard it. Whether out happens or not is another thing!

[Pigmy Pony]

Buy her some expensive luxury scatter cushions and some lovely soft wall hangings and tell her it’s to create a romantic atmosphere[emoji23]

That could work, but I'd stop short of putting mirrors on the ceiling - that would just ruin what you're trying to achieve

[Jimbo]

Having messed around with room acoustics for over a year now I am convinced this is the most fundamental aspects for getting the best out of my system as it profoundly affects what you hear. Way more than changing pieces of kit....apart from loudspeakers which determine more of what you hear than any other part of your system.


For the last 40 years I have tinkered with my system on and off like a demented audio fool but have found by a process of subjective analysis that some things work and some don't and more importantly I have found what works for me and the sound I like. This gets you near the bulls eye, say 90% there in terms of system satisfaction but it is the last 5-10% that makes the real difference and I have found a rich seam of exploration in system set up and room acoustics which has moved everything to the next level without having to change boxes etc.


I have made huge gains from room acoustics that I never experienced by box swapping and it has effectively opened up the full potential of the equipment I currently have and made listening to music and much more rewarding experience. Room treatment has always been the elephant in the room and the final frontier as far as I am concerned and has been and still is the most exciting and rewarding aspect of my hifi journey.

[Jimbo]

That could work, but I'd stop short of putting mirrors on the ceiling - that would just ruin what you're trying to achieve

That's for the bedroom surely?

[Macca]

If you have a ceiling over 15 feet high its effect on the sound from you speakers disappears so no treatment needed. I have been listening to the New Record Day videos and his demonstration using binaural sound in headphones gives an astonishing insight into exactly what room treatment does. As he proceeds through different parts of the treatment from bass traps to first reflection etc and dispersion you can very easily hear the differences before and after.

Ceiling treatment is essential in my book once you have heard it. Whether out happens or not is another thing!

well it certainly makes a difference but we want a positive difference not just a difference and that's the tricky bit.

Have to say I am not much for the Youtube videos on the subject - either they are made by people selling room treatment products, so their advice amounts to 'You can never have enough' or they don't even understand the basics of what they are talking about.