Challenges:
1. Bare minimum sound equipment with decent sound reproduction.
2. Improve the sound acoustics of an untreated living room.
3. Reduce the echo time in a rectangular small room.
4. Inexpensive and visually-friendly sound treatment of the walls.
5. Save floor space by using on-wall mounted speakers and subwoofer.
For those of you who want to hear and compare the sound difference between treated and untreated room; watch this quick video demonstrating the sound effect of echo reduction.
Hint nr.1
Room treatment using inexpensive acoustic panels. Try using expanded cork boards for sound insulation and echo reduction. The expanded cork boards are used for noise isolation and they are produced from raw materials with many small granules forming a low density and a fine texture to the surface. Recommended for echo reduction and noise isolation in rooms, the expanded cork reduces the echo levels and achieve a sound absorption and acoustic treatment in theater halls, concert halls, schools, receptions halls and other rooms where it's necessary to reduce the echo.
The cork boards come in various sizes and thicknesses and are easy to cut to dimension with a utility knife. For this room I bought a pack of 12 sheets x 1.50m by 0.50m which cost around $300. All cork boards you see in this room were made from that 12 pack. Of course, the cork boards aren't the perfect echo reducing solution on the market that one can buy. There are other better and more professional sound boards out there, but they cost way more and they aren't as easy to customize (size wise and color wise.)
Hint nr.2
Decorate the cork panels. I've used the same wall paint base in which I've mixed some different colors (they can be bought in small tubes).
Hint nr.4
Hint nr.5
Hint nr.6
Hint nr.8
Rugs and carpets should be made of natural materials (avoid carpets made out of polyester). Here weight is very important: the greater the weight the more it will absorb the sound. In my living room I've got two hand-made wool rugs with the weight of 4200 gr./sqm.
Hint nr.9Position your subwoofer close to a room corner. I've mounted my sub on the wall, with the bass driver firing towards and bouncing of the wall - check out the square white box decorated with green stick-on gem decals. It's a conversation piece
Hint nr.10
Here's a quick way to check for the echo level: hold a tall drinking glass in one hand. In the other hand hold a metal teaspoon. Tap the glass with the teaspoon several times while you're walking around in various parts of the room. If you'll hear anything more than a clean and neutral "cling" (generated by the glass), you need to reduce the echo that is arriving in that particular spot.
My Gear:
Room Specs:
Location: ground floor of a 10 story-high condominium building
Surface: 190 sq. feet (17.7 sq. meters)
Length: 17 feet (5.20 meters)
Width: 11.16 feet (3.40 meters)
Room height: 8.2 feet (2.5 meters)
Build: concrete walls.
Thank you for reading. Have you built a home cinema or improved the sound in your home's audition room? What materials and sound gear did you use?
1. Bare minimum sound equipment with decent sound reproduction.
2. Improve the sound acoustics of an untreated living room.
3. Reduce the echo time in a rectangular small room.
4. Inexpensive and visually-friendly sound treatment of the walls.
5. Save floor space by using on-wall mounted speakers and subwoofer.
For those of you who want to hear and compare the sound difference between treated and untreated room; watch this quick video demonstrating the sound effect of echo reduction.
Room treatment using inexpensive acoustic panels. Try using expanded cork boards for sound insulation and echo reduction. The expanded cork boards are used for noise isolation and they are produced from raw materials with many small granules forming a low density and a fine texture to the surface. Recommended for echo reduction and noise isolation in rooms, the expanded cork reduces the echo levels and achieve a sound absorption and acoustic treatment in theater halls, concert halls, schools, receptions halls and other rooms where it's necessary to reduce the echo.
The cork boards come in various sizes and thicknesses and are easy to cut to dimension with a utility knife. For this room I bought a pack of 12 sheets x 1.50m by 0.50m which cost around $300. All cork boards you see in this room were made from that 12 pack. Of course, the cork boards aren't the perfect echo reducing solution on the market that one can buy. There are other better and more professional sound boards out there, but they cost way more and they aren't as easy to customize (size wise and color wise.)
Decorate the cork panels. I've used the same wall paint base in which I've mixed some different colors (they can be bought in small tubes).
Hint nr.3
Pay special attention to the ceiling as it's usualy the largest echo producer in any room. The ceiling is a huge echo generator. Cover at least the main reflection points of the ceiling with expanded cork boards. It will considerably reduce the echo and enhance room's sound quality.
Pay special attention to the ceiling as it's usualy the largest echo producer in any room. The ceiling is a huge echo generator. Cover at least the main reflection points of the ceiling with expanded cork boards. It will considerably reduce the echo and enhance room's sound quality.
The furniture should be made exclusively from natural wood. Avoid any glass elements (table tops made of glass, etc.)
The couch's (sofas) upholstery: avoid leather or skin imitations which are echo generators. Velour or thick fabric are preferred as they better absorb sound.
Avoid fireplaces: they have many sound reflection points and glass front panels that are echo generators.
Hint nr.7
Cover all windows with curtains or drapes as thick as possible. Cover any reflective surfaces made of glass or metal.
Hint nr.7
Cover all windows with curtains or drapes as thick as possible. Cover any reflective surfaces made of glass or metal.
Hint nr.8
Rugs and carpets should be made of natural materials (avoid carpets made out of polyester). Here weight is very important: the greater the weight the more it will absorb the sound. In my living room I've got two hand-made wool rugs with the weight of 4200 gr./sqm.
Hint nr.9
Use on-wall speakers in small spaces.
DLS is a Swedish brand of speakers specializing in manufacturing slim-line on-wall speakers for serious audio enthusiasts. Their properly designed speakers can potentially outperform its freestanding in-room counterparts. DLS on-wall speakers are true on-wall monitors, while the DLS Flatbox Large ($1200/pr.) + DLS Flatsub Midi subwoofer ($500) combination offers a compelling and well-priced alternative to large floorstanders. Years ago I used to own a pair of B&W 220 floorstanding speakers and I can say these DLS speakers have very similar sound characteristics to those B&W monitors but in a smaller, on-wall format.
DLS is a Swedish brand of speakers specializing in manufacturing slim-line on-wall speakers for serious audio enthusiasts. Their properly designed speakers can potentially outperform its freestanding in-room counterparts. DLS on-wall speakers are true on-wall monitors, while the DLS Flatbox Large ($1200/pr.) + DLS Flatsub Midi subwoofer ($500) combination offers a compelling and well-priced alternative to large floorstanders. Years ago I used to own a pair of B&W 220 floorstanding speakers and I can say these DLS speakers have very similar sound characteristics to those B&W monitors but in a smaller, on-wall format.
My Gear:
Yamaha RX-V479 Wi-Fi AV network player & receiver
Sony BDP-S7200B Blu-Ray Player 3D 4K Wi-Fi
Front speakers: DLS Flatbox Large (Sweden)
Surround speakers: Taga Harmony TOS-315
Subwoofer: DLS Flatsub Midi
TV: Philips 49PUS7100-12
Sony BDP-S7200B Blu-Ray Player 3D 4K Wi-Fi
Front speakers: DLS Flatbox Large (Sweden)
Surround speakers: Taga Harmony TOS-315
Subwoofer: DLS Flatsub Midi
TV: Philips 49PUS7100-12
Location: ground floor of a 10 story-high condominium building
Surface: 190 sq. feet (17.7 sq. meters)
Length: 17 feet (5.20 meters)
Width: 11.16 feet (3.40 meters)
Room height: 8.2 feet (2.5 meters)
Build: concrete walls.
Thank you for reading. Have you built a home cinema or improved the sound in your home's audition room? What materials and sound gear did you use?
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