Article: A New Listening Room Part Two: Acoustics, Speakers, DSP

[Richard Dale]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Hi Rajiv - Thanks for the kind words. You have an open invitation anytime you're in Minneapolis.

 

I should've included prices in the article. 

The 24 Vicoustic Cinema Round Premium absorption panels were right around $2,000 total plus shipping.

The 6 Vicoustic Multifuser DC2 diffusion panels were around $700 total plus shipping.

The 2 ATS Acoustics Corner Bass Traps (24x48)  were roughly $300 total plus $125 to ship.

The Vicoustic room project was only like $50 if I remember correctly, and that was taken off my order total.

 

Fortunately, @mitchco just started his own business where he will handle the daunting task of DSP for anyone - https://accuratesound.ca/

 

A very interesting article and it's good to hear you've ended up with an excellent result. I've become a room treatment obsessive in the last two years, and it is nice to see it being promoted in HiFi publications not just studio ones. Is is possible to post an REW waterfall view of the room modes before the DSP was applied, as the frequency response isn't so informative?

 

The only thing I'm a bit puzzled about is why you stopped at just two bass traps. I can see from the photos of the sloping ceiling that you couldn't just stack a couple more of the ATS traps on top of the two you have. Would it have been possible to install bass traps at celing level at the wall ceiling boundaries in places where the wall doesn't slope. Or maybe horizontally suspended from the ceiling? If the rear of the room is the same as the front would it be possible to add another pair of the ATS traps in the rear corners?

[Richard Dale]

22 minutes ago, Blake said:

Earlier this month, I purchased 6 of the Vicoustic DC2 Multifuser Panels (same as those purchased by Chris).  I am located in USA.  I found a reputable seller based in the U.K., Gear4Music that is an authorized seller.  Shipped to me in the USA, the 6 panels cost $438.  Dealers in the USA charge $650.  

 

One nice thing, these panels are thick so you can stack them, as I have done in the picture below.

 

I got some 5mm MDF panels cut, painted them black and then glued the black DC2s to the panels. Then I could mount them on the wall with sawtooth hangers just like I've done with the GIK absorber/diffuser panels on the side walls.

 

Front of the room with two pairs of DC2s with GIK Gotham Quadratic diffusers above them:

 

 

 

Rear of the room with two DC2s:

 

[Richard Dale]

1 minute ago, Jud said:

What are the materials in these panels?

 

It strikes me that with the availability of photos printed on fabric, if these panels use non-exotic materials and we have a few members who know how to design them, decor- and wallet-friendly acoustic panels might be a very nice DIY project.

The Vicoustic DC2s are made of expanded polystyrene.

[Richard Dale]

12 minutes ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

A couple dealer friends told me to just make the absorption panels myself. Not confident in my ability to do any such thing, I obviously purchased them. 
 

There’s really nothing to the panels. Just correct materials selection and a look if needed. 

GIK use rockwool in their panels, and they don't cost all that much. I think you'll find if you work out how much a DIY panel would cost compared with the GIK panels it wouldn't save all that much and probably wouldn't look as good.

 

Vicoustic and Artnovion have a higher standard of finish than GIK (although GIK are pretty excellent), and the Cherry wood in my Vicoustic Super Bass Extremes looks lovely - unless you are some kind of cabinet maker by trade I can't see how you could get anywhere near that standard of finish with a DIY project.

[Richard Dale]

4 minutes ago, Jud said:

 

I have a couple of neighbors with reasonably extensive home wood shops. And if the fabric is photo printed, then that becomes the highlight and you can pull it over the wood frame.

OK, but note that tuned membrane panels such as Vicoustic Super Bass Extremes, GIK Scopus Bass Traps and GIK Tri-Traps with a range limiter membrane are not as easy to reproduce in a DIY project as just stuffing a filling into a decorative box. Compared with other audiophile tweaks, acoustic treatment, even designer level acoustic treatment, is much cheaper than say fancy interconnects.