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Mass Loaded Vinyl (MLV) Acoustic Treatments - A Question

MLV comes in different thicknesses, from thin drapes to sheets inches thick

At this point in time - I have installed a vinyl roller blind that is very effective at preventing reflections and because it is installed at the ceiling-wall boundary, also traps/disperses reflections there - a bonus!

But unfortunately it is not effective are preventing the very low frequency "bass blooming" I am currently experiencing.

From what I have read, my room is the ideal size for the propagation of low frequency standing waves- 11.5' x 15' x 8'(high) 

So I was wondering if anyone out there had used the thicker versions of MLV in order to curb bass related issues and if so - what thickness did you find effective and how did you install it?

My system resides in my Living Room, so I am trying to "limit the visibility" of any device I install, either by design or concealment.

Many Thanks

williewonka
slaw's avatar
slaw
21,258 posts
 
Hi, I'm not familiar with the (MLV) treatments. Upon the very nature of (vinyl), to me, it suggests more of a reflection treatment? Is this your experience? Other than (proper placement) of speakers, in my room/experience, I found a combination of diffusion/absorbtion to be the ticket. My smaller room, (8.6" x13.8"x8'). I get a substantial difference in sound upon very small increments in placement of these treatments.

I'm a single guy so, "limiting visibility" isn't at all necessary. This may be the limiting factor in achieving the best sound for you?

Good luck!
williewonka OP
3,075 posts
 

Slaw - I have tried many different speaker positions and their current placement provides the best SQ - and minimizes the booming - but it is still present on some albums that have very deep bass lines

As for the properties of vinyl - from what I have read, I believe the soft vinyl fabrics and MLV absorbs sound waves

Thanks

bdp24's avatar
bdp24
9,788 posts
 
MLV is designed to absorb physical resonance (vibrations), not acoustic. It works well when sandwiched between two layers of MDF in a speaker enclosure, for example.
csontos
1,311 posts
 
It is being marketed as a sound-proofing solution, a rather high level one at that, for residential and commercial buildings. I am in the construction business but have no experience with this material, cost being the prohibitive factor.
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