Room matters

Kal,

I may not have been clear enough or I oversimplified things too much but I can confirm we are in complete agreement.

It is only below the critical frequency that spatial issues dominate.

I very much agree with that and for the sake of a "critical frequency" Meridian's choice of 300 Hz is fair enough as a ball park number.

Here is an article which is based on Olsen's work that shows how a mere "baffle" can have some interesting effects. From this is follows that the effect of baffles and therefore room boundary surfaces can actually affect response over a "range" of critical frequencies - depending on the specific situation - leading to suckouts or peaks in what are sometimes broad frequency ranges.

These recent posts raise an interesting question: To those with experience measuring in-room FR, where do you find the most significant anomalies? I have experience with 4 rooms, and in all cases the issues below about 150hz to 175hz just dwarfed those above that frequency in my "normal", passively treated rooms. I've usually found significant elevation somewhere in the octave above 75ish cycles and a few severe suckouts scattered below app. 100hz. In any given room, these low end deviations have typically been 3 to 5 times as severe as anything I've encountered above 150hz to 175hz.

Kal notes that passive room treatments are effective for issues higher up in frequency. If you extend "passive" to include Hemholtz devices, I have found that these treatments can be effective in addressing that octave below 150hz. Below that, DRC (or possibly distributed bass generation with multiple subs...or maybe both) seems to be the best answer.

Even allowing for the ear's increased sensitivity to deviations in/near the mid-band, I find the deep bass issues much more vexing than those higher up.

Has your experience been different?

Marty

As an aside, I also stuck a bassbuster in the corner behind the piano in my living room and that now sounds a lot better, too. However, the piano sound would be most dramatically improved by advances in my operation of that exasperating user interface :<(

These recent posts raise an interesting question: To those with experience measuring in-room FR, where do you find the most significant anomalies? I have experience with 4 rooms, and in all cases the issues below about 150hz to 175hz just dwarfed those above that frequency in my "normal", passively treated rooms. I've usually found significant elevation somewhere in the octave above 75ish cycles and a few severe suckouts scattered below app. 100hz. In any given room, these low end deviations have typically been 3 to 5 times as severe as anything I've encountered above 150hz to 175hz.

Sure but our sensitivity to sounds below 100Hz is progressively and markedly reduced. Also, there are fewer sounds down there.

Kal notes that passive room treatments are effective for issues higher up in frequency.

I wouldn't say 'effective." (If I did, it was a slip.) I would say efficient or practical. Passive room treatments can be effective although cumbersome way down into the bass.

If you extend "passive" to include Hemholtz devices, I have found that these treatments can be effective in addressing that octave below 150hz. Below that, DRC (or possibly distributed bass generation with multiple subs...or maybe both) seems to be the best answer.

Agreed.

Even allowing for the ear's increased sensitivity to deviations in/near the mid-band, I find the deep bass issues much more vexing than those higher up.

Has your experience been different?

Yes but this is subjective and depends on one's predelictions.

Kal