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Room Treatments - Where to learn more?

Can you suggest some links to websites with practical advice on how to improve the acoustic properties of stereo listening rooms?

I'm about to do a major upgrade to my mediocre system. After reading Robert Harley's "High End Audio" Chapter 4, I gather that room treatment should be near the top of the list for areas to work on.

This is probably especially true since my room has so many hard surfaces.
Picture of my Room
Suggestions on practical ways to improve the sound of my room would be welcome. My thought for the first step is: install drapes on all those windows. The room size is 21 x 22 x 8 feet with 3 open extensions into other spaces.

What else would you suggest for me?
What has worked for you?
hdomke
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
Excelent job guys.
This is more then enough....even for me.
hdomke OP
40 posts
 
Ncarve,
Thanks for your suggestion of "The Master Handbook of Acoustics," by F. Alton Everest, 3rd edition. I just ordered a copy on Amazon for $24. That seems dirt cheap when I gather that many audiophiles don't blink at spending hundreds of dollars on a power cord.

Link to the book on Amazon
mrjstark
1,112 posts
 
Also try Robert Harley's The Complete Guide to High-End Audio......has come to be known as the "Bible" for high-end audio enthusiasts.
Excellent reading. A++++++++
Try it, you won't regret it !!!
fishboat
245 posts
 
Here's some links I had from another post a while back:

This one is for a home theater, but his approach is fairly typical.
http://www.sbrjournal.net/journalsite/archives/acoustics/acoustics.htm

This next one is a great resource, scroll down to the bottom for research links:

http://www.bobgolds.com/AbsorptionCoefficients.htm

Here's a DIY approach to bass traps:

http://forums.studiotips.com/viewtopic.php?t=535

Ethan Winer is a great resource (he hangs out over at the Rives forum on AA). He sells "Real Traps", but also tries to educate people...never met the guy, but he looks to be an interesting fellow:

http://www.realtraps.com/articles.htm

Here's a white-paper...blue-paper I guess that he wrote that can get you started:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/acoustics.html

And his home page:

http://www.ethanwiner.com/
hdomke OP
40 posts
 
Fishboat,
Thanks, the link to Ethan Winer's PDF was excellent. It is called "Acoustic Treatment and Design for Recording Studios and Listening Rooms" and is packed with good information.

However, I'm still looking forward to reading the "Master Handbook of Acoustics" 3rd edition which is on its way to me now from Amazon.com

Today as a first step, I hung a Pendleton Wool Blankets on the back wall of my listening room. It may not be as effective as Owens-Corning 703 Rigid Fiberglass, but it does look nice.
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