Room treatments

@erik_squires re your show experience with ASC I wonder if this is a case of correlation rather than causation. As I understand it Art makes him a stuff available to those who want to use it at shows, and what I guess happens is that folks with "problems" look to ASC to solve them whereas in fact the real cause of the problems are in the choice of equipment e.g. speakers too big for room, poor orientation etc (e.g. Setting up to give the maximum sweet spot for demo rather than the best sound, amazing how few rooms are set up on long wall orientation for example)

as @randy-11 observes when a room is designed around ASC gear, as any acoustic treatment, it can work very well but it's no panacea

Hi Folkfreak,

Well, it is also possible I was hearing the electronics, but interestingly, I've heard Pass before, and not thrilled, but also didn't cause this problem.

This was the first show I have ever been to so meticulously treated by ASC. And room after room I heard a unique situation. Rather, I've never been to a show where all rooms sounded the same. It was truly odd. An exaggerated treble, along with this weird, 1 note bass. Well treated rooms sound huge, expansive, as if anything can be played.  These rooms, even among hotel rooms, were truly funky to listen to for me.

The correlation I found was : More treatment --> more problems. The most treated rooms, the Von Schweikert, Martin Logan, and a couple of others had the most problems. The Vienna with just two corner tubes sounded among the better situation.



Best,


E

So, if I may add, my working hypothesis was one of two:

1. I was having a stroke.
2. Those tube traps were reflective at the HF, and very absorptive in the midrange.

None of the GIK gear I use has these features. They are pretty much mid to treble, and sometimes also bass absorbers.

I think the ASC tube trap design is a mix no? Partly diffusor/reflector + partly absorptive?

Assuming ASC isn't just a horrible brand, I would then say perhaps the wrong mix of products was employed.

Tube traps are absorptive at low frequencies and mid (500-1k) and can be absorptive or reflective at high depending on how they are oriented. Full specs are here on the latest model http://www.acousticsciences.com/products/isothermal-tubetrap

in my experience they work really well in corners to deal with bass modes, and you can then tune HF to taste by orienting them. I'd steer clear of using them at first reflection points for fear of the effects you observed

sounds to me that the exhibitors in question had speakers way too big for the room and were trying to compensate

youre welcome to come visit me system any time to see how ASC products (traps, planks, soffit and wall damp) can work in my smallish room

wait - the showroom was meticulously treated 'BY' ASC?

or with ASC products??

yes, the newer items are hybrid devices, working in 2 different freq. regions - read all about it in ... Master Hndbk..