How to prepare a room for listening to music
Carefully selecting the elements of their audio system , people often forget about the important factor that influences the final result - the acoustic preparation of the room.
Sometimes in a room that is poorly prepared for listening, the technique sounds completely different from the showroom, and the expectations placed on the acquired acoustics are not met. Today we will tell you how to prepare a room for listening to music.
')
The properties of a room influence the quality of perception of sound information in it: acoustic waves are reflected from the walls, floor and ceiling, interfering with each other. If you turn on the music in an empty room with “bare” walls, the sound of the original source is irreversibly distorted. Even just sticking wallpaper on the walls, you will already feel the difference in sound.
However, the wallpaper on the walls, of course, is not enough to prepare a room for listening. In some cases, the problem with the reflection of sound waves can be eliminated by decorating solutions - due to upholstered furniture, open book shelves and other “filling” of the room. However, if the interior was originally conceived as minimalistic, you should pay attention to constructive solutions at the repair stage.
Correction of room acoustics with the use of additional structures, of course, can reduce its usable area and change the original design of the room, so at this stage you can seek professional help from installers . They will not only be able to take into account all the features of the room, but also help to “get rid of unnecessary wires” - they will competently plan the laying of the necessary cables taking into account the final location of the audio system.
Of course, attracting installers is not the only option. It will be useful, first of all, for owners of expensive audio systems that need to be “inscribed” in a minimalist interior (taking into account not only the desires of a music lover, but also the requirements of his family), owners of complex sets of equipment from different manufacturers, which need to be “friends” correctly, as well as in cases where the room itself has a non-standard configuration or purpose.
In other cases, you can cope with the adjustment of the room on their own. To do this, it is not necessary to cover all walls with an absorber. For example, behind the audio system, you can build a false wall of perforated plasterboard sheets. When installing the drywall panels, try to fix the sheets in such a way that the type of fixing excludes any arbitrary vibrations.
Fans of eco-friendly materials can replace drywall with wood fiber panels. According to their acoustic properties, they are in no way inferior to drywall and can better fit into the interior, however, their cost will be higher. It is important that the raised wall is erected at a distance of 150-250 mm from the main wall, and the cavity between them is filled with mineral wool.
/ Example of an Audiomania installation in a Moscow apartment
In addition, when correcting room acoustics, pay attention to the ceiling. If the height of the room allows, the best solution would be a suspended ceiling on a standard perforated plasterboard frame. This material itself is a fairly good sound insulator, and if you additionally lay mineral wool slabs into the cavity, the effect will be even better (for more details on how and from what materials such a ceiling and a false wall can be assembled, read here ).
The main thing in this business is not to overdo it. Overuse of absorbing materials can “jamming” listening rooms. As a result, the reflected sounds disappear altogether, and the sound becomes unnatural and sharp, quickly tiring the ear, a characteristic “oppressive” sensation arises. Such a “dead” acoustic environment is suitable for recording studios, but is very uncomfortable for listening to music for pleasure.
Suspended ceilings and false walls are always a compromise with the design, appearance and functionality of the room (if the room to be listened to solves other problems, such changes can seriously hamper its use). It is possible to adjust the acoustics of a room with less effort - the result may not be so impressive, but also tangible.
So, at the stage of interior design, any upholstered furniture, carpet on the floor or blackout curtains on the windows contribute to the formation of a favorable listening environment. If there is a feeling that this set is not enough, then a sound-absorbing mat can be placed behind the audio system or the table on which it stands. They can serve as a high-pile carpet or special acoustic foam with a profile of "pyramid". Of course, the latter solution will not add aesthetics to the interior, but it will improve the quality of medium and high frequencies.
/ Bass traps from acoustic foam to minimize the strong impact of resonant waves
Another effective solution - the so-called sound traps, which are placed at the corners of the room. Such a trap can be as high as a full column, or it can occupy the entire space from floor to ceiling. The main disadvantage of such systems is that they are very noticeable and are unlikely to improve the appearance of the room.
The compromise solution is special decorative acoustical panels that have the properties of “classic” panels (those that can often be seen in recording studios), but are available in different colors and designs. Such panels can also be noticeable, but they look like an element of decor, and not as an industrial object in a home environment.
If for one reason or another it is impossible to hang an acoustic panel on a wall, put a sound trap in a corner, or simply add more furniture to a room, you can go the other way and purchase an acoustic equalizer . This is a special device that is placed between the amplifier and the signal source (computer, network player, CD player).
The acoustic equalizer resembles a small amplifier with an input, an output and a microphone. The microphone is installed in the listening area, so that the device "understands" how the sound reaches the music lover, and corrected it. As a result, the low-frequency hum disappears, the bass can be “collected” into a single melody, and the sound becomes as close as possible to the undistorted.
/ DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033S-II Digital Acoustic Corrector for adjusting the sound characteristics of a subwoofer in accordance with the geometry and other features of the listening room
Acoustic proofreaders are often used at Hi-Fi and High End exhibitions that take place in hotels (just the case when the installation team cannot change the configuration or interfere with the room design). It is not always possible to eliminate absolutely all problems at the expense of the corrector, but such a corrector is capable of qualitatively improving listening in a non-ideal room. This device is especially useful if there is a well-defined area for listening to music in the room (it is likely that some problems will remain unresolved, but you simply “will not hear”, find where you usually listen to music).
To improve the sound quality, you should also pay attention to the environment in which the audio system itself is located. For example, not the best solution would be to put acoustics directly on the floor (or on tables and other pieces of furniture not originally intended to “work” as a stand for audio equipment). Vibrations created as a result adversely affect the sound quality (it “plays” not only the speaker, but also all the objects that are nearby).
In order to minimize vibration, it is necessary to reduce the area of ​​contact between the column and the surface. Acoustic spikes may be useful for this purpose. In addition to the main task (reducing parasitic vibrations), they allow you to compensate for surface irregularities by adjusting the height using a thread. And in order not to damage the floor covering (or the furniture surface), special supports should be placed under the spikes.
/ Stands for Cold Ray Spike Protector 3 Small spikes do not slip, protect the flooring and (in combination with spikes) allow you to successfully deal with resonances
Another important factor to help improve the sound - the correct location of the audio system. At first glance, this is the simplest solution, but it can be difficult to fully implement it: the correct arrangement is not always convenient in terms of appearance and functionality (there are no sockets in the “right” places or the cables are too noticeable).
However, there are also some tips here, the simplest is that you should not “drive” the speakers into the corners of the room and push them tightly to the wall (the location “dangerously close” from the side walls can lead to standing waves and degrade sound). If you do not want to immediately understand the mods and working with the acoustic calculator , you can start with this guide on the correct placement of the acoustics - even such simple changes will help improve the sound of the audio system without any major investments.
PS Our 2017 New Year's Sale : this year we have collected several hundred products of various categories with discounts up to 75% so that you can make your wildest dreams come true and save a lot.
Sometimes in a room that is poorly prepared for listening, the technique sounds completely different from the showroom, and the expectations placed on the acquired acoustics are not met. Today we will tell you how to prepare a room for listening to music.
')
At the stage of repair
The properties of a room influence the quality of perception of sound information in it: acoustic waves are reflected from the walls, floor and ceiling, interfering with each other. If you turn on the music in an empty room with “bare” walls, the sound of the original source is irreversibly distorted. Even just sticking wallpaper on the walls, you will already feel the difference in sound.
However, the wallpaper on the walls, of course, is not enough to prepare a room for listening. In some cases, the problem with the reflection of sound waves can be eliminated by decorating solutions - due to upholstered furniture, open book shelves and other “filling” of the room. However, if the interior was originally conceived as minimalistic, you should pay attention to constructive solutions at the repair stage.
Correction of room acoustics with the use of additional structures, of course, can reduce its usable area and change the original design of the room, so at this stage you can seek professional help from installers . They will not only be able to take into account all the features of the room, but also help to “get rid of unnecessary wires” - they will competently plan the laying of the necessary cables taking into account the final location of the audio system.
Of course, attracting installers is not the only option. It will be useful, first of all, for owners of expensive audio systems that need to be “inscribed” in a minimalist interior (taking into account not only the desires of a music lover, but also the requirements of his family), owners of complex sets of equipment from different manufacturers, which need to be “friends” correctly, as well as in cases where the room itself has a non-standard configuration or purpose.
Audiomania installers, for example, faced the challenge of designing and equipping a movie theater and audio system in a pool ).
In other cases, you can cope with the adjustment of the room on their own. To do this, it is not necessary to cover all walls with an absorber. For example, behind the audio system, you can build a false wall of perforated plasterboard sheets. When installing the drywall panels, try to fix the sheets in such a way that the type of fixing excludes any arbitrary vibrations.
Fans of eco-friendly materials can replace drywall with wood fiber panels. According to their acoustic properties, they are in no way inferior to drywall and can better fit into the interior, however, their cost will be higher. It is important that the raised wall is erected at a distance of 150-250 mm from the main wall, and the cavity between them is filled with mineral wool.
/ Example of an Audiomania installation in a Moscow apartment
In addition, when correcting room acoustics, pay attention to the ceiling. If the height of the room allows, the best solution would be a suspended ceiling on a standard perforated plasterboard frame. This material itself is a fairly good sound insulator, and if you additionally lay mineral wool slabs into the cavity, the effect will be even better (for more details on how and from what materials such a ceiling and a false wall can be assembled, read here ).
The main thing in this business is not to overdo it. Overuse of absorbing materials can “jamming” listening rooms. As a result, the reflected sounds disappear altogether, and the sound becomes unnatural and sharp, quickly tiring the ear, a characteristic “oppressive” sensation arises. Such a “dead” acoustic environment is suitable for recording studios, but is very uncomfortable for listening to music for pleasure.
When interior design
Suspended ceilings and false walls are always a compromise with the design, appearance and functionality of the room (if the room to be listened to solves other problems, such changes can seriously hamper its use). It is possible to adjust the acoustics of a room with less effort - the result may not be so impressive, but also tangible.
So, at the stage of interior design, any upholstered furniture, carpet on the floor or blackout curtains on the windows contribute to the formation of a favorable listening environment. If there is a feeling that this set is not enough, then a sound-absorbing mat can be placed behind the audio system or the table on which it stands. They can serve as a high-pile carpet or special acoustic foam with a profile of "pyramid". Of course, the latter solution will not add aesthetics to the interior, but it will improve the quality of medium and high frequencies.
/ Bass traps from acoustic foam to minimize the strong impact of resonant waves
Another effective solution - the so-called sound traps, which are placed at the corners of the room. Such a trap can be as high as a full column, or it can occupy the entire space from floor to ceiling. The main disadvantage of such systems is that they are very noticeable and are unlikely to improve the appearance of the room.
If a woman lives in an apartment with a specific vision of how the room should look, this option immediately disappears.
- Timofey Shikolenkov, director of marketing and business development at Audiomania
The compromise solution is special decorative acoustical panels that have the properties of “classic” panels (those that can often be seen in recording studios), but are available in different colors and designs. Such panels can also be noticeable, but they look like an element of decor, and not as an industrial object in a home environment.
Technical Solutions and Improvers
If for one reason or another it is impossible to hang an acoustic panel on a wall, put a sound trap in a corner, or simply add more furniture to a room, you can go the other way and purchase an acoustic equalizer . This is a special device that is placed between the amplifier and the signal source (computer, network player, CD player).
The acoustic equalizer resembles a small amplifier with an input, an output and a microphone. The microphone is installed in the listening area, so that the device "understands" how the sound reaches the music lover, and corrected it. As a result, the low-frequency hum disappears, the bass can be “collected” into a single melody, and the sound becomes as close as possible to the undistorted.
/ DSPeaker Anti-Mode 8033S-II Digital Acoustic Corrector for adjusting the sound characteristics of a subwoofer in accordance with the geometry and other features of the listening room
Acoustic proofreaders are often used at Hi-Fi and High End exhibitions that take place in hotels (just the case when the installation team cannot change the configuration or interfere with the room design). It is not always possible to eliminate absolutely all problems at the expense of the corrector, but such a corrector is capable of qualitatively improving listening in a non-ideal room. This device is especially useful if there is a well-defined area for listening to music in the room (it is likely that some problems will remain unresolved, but you simply “will not hear”, find where you usually listen to music).
I, for example, have nothing like [sound traps, acoustic panels]. Yes, I understand that under some conditions I will have troubles, maybe standing waves will arise somewhere, in some corner of the room the sound will not be as planned. But I have a perfectly understandable listening point, and everything is fine in it. Not even a point, a listening zone, and everything in this zone is wonderful.
- Timofey Shikolenkov timshick
To improve the sound quality, you should also pay attention to the environment in which the audio system itself is located. For example, not the best solution would be to put acoustics directly on the floor (or on tables and other pieces of furniture not originally intended to “work” as a stand for audio equipment). Vibrations created as a result adversely affect the sound quality (it “plays” not only the speaker, but also all the objects that are nearby).
In order to minimize vibration, it is necessary to reduce the area of ​​contact between the column and the surface. Acoustic spikes may be useful for this purpose. In addition to the main task (reducing parasitic vibrations), they allow you to compensate for surface irregularities by adjusting the height using a thread. And in order not to damage the floor covering (or the furniture surface), special supports should be placed under the spikes.
/ Stands for Cold Ray Spike Protector 3 Small spikes do not slip, protect the flooring and (in combination with spikes) allow you to successfully deal with resonances
Another important factor to help improve the sound - the correct location of the audio system. At first glance, this is the simplest solution, but it can be difficult to fully implement it: the correct arrangement is not always convenient in terms of appearance and functionality (there are no sockets in the “right” places or the cables are too noticeable).
However, there are also some tips here, the simplest is that you should not “drive” the speakers into the corners of the room and push them tightly to the wall (the location “dangerously close” from the side walls can lead to standing waves and degrade sound). If you do not want to immediately understand the mods and working with the acoustic calculator , you can start with this guide on the correct placement of the acoustics - even such simple changes will help improve the sound of the audio system without any major investments.
PS Our 2017 New Year's Sale : this year we have collected several hundred products of various categories with discounts up to 75% so that you can make your wildest dreams come true and save a lot.
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/400055/
All Articles