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Does the first reflection point actually matter??

Hello my friends,

So please read the whole post before commenting. The question is nuanced.

First, as you probably know I’m a huge fan of the well treated room, and a fan boy of GIK acoustics as a result, so what I am _not_ arguing is against proper room treatment. I remember many years ago, perhaps in Audio magazine (dating myself?) the concept of treating the first reflection points came up, and it seems really logical, and quickly adopted. Mirrors, flashlights and lasers and paying the neighbor’s kid (because we don’t have real friends) to come and hold them while marking the wall became common.

However!! In my experience, I have not actually been able to tell the difference between panels on and off that first reflection point. Of course, I can hear the difference between panels and not, but after all these years, I want to ask if any of you personally know that the first reflection point really matters more than other similar locations. Were we scammed? By knowing I mean, did you experiment? Did you find it the night and day difference that was uttered, or was it a subtle thing, and if those panels were moved 6" off, would you hear it?


Best,


Erik
erik_squires
erik_squires OP
16,895 posts
 
Seems like the only alternative to avoid all this is to buy acoustic measurement software like from Dayton audio and figure out your room. Then treat it accordingly.

Sigh, I don't know.  I mean, honestly, I know speakers more than acoustics, and I think that for the average audiophile, this is a steep learning curve.  I mean, if you want to learn about acoustics, then YES, get yourself a mic and some software young lady/young man and go west with the wagon train...

Fun stuff.

But when I think of how to be helpful, what can I say which helps audiophiles enjoy their systems longer, better, asking the pros for help is a better way to go, along with some experimentation here and there.
audiokinesis
2,772 posts
 
Mahgister wrote:  " I related my 2 years journey in my thread... 

"Miracles in audio....." 

Thank you very much.  And thank you for the link to the Audioholics article,    I'll look at both. 

Duke
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
5,103 posts
 
As a fanboy of active room eq and the means to accomplish such...

A pair of ears, however compromised and even biased, can hear and discern 'details' that a calibrated mic with it's software may only hint at, or 'gloss over'.

Mho, one would need to be running some rather sophisticated wares, running in r/t into a 3D waveform to catch 'reflections'...and, even then. they'd likely be effected by frequency, harmonics...and even ones' presence in the space....

...and be very persistent and equally patient in the measurement routine.

I am an imperfect being in an imperfect world, surrounded by imperfect 'things' playing imperfect sounds.

Eventually.....one has to accept ones' limitations...

(Thanks a whole bunch, Harry....*smirk*)
asvjerry's avatar
asvjerry
5,103 posts
 
(....now, if we could only get kenjit to accept that....the world would be slightly brighter and shiny once again....)
*tongue Very Deep in cheek*
roxito
23 posts
 
The closer the reflection point is to the speaker the more it will matter. Likely more evident in smaller rooms.

 In my case, side walls are about 2feet away from the speakers. I treated them with a diffuser/absorber combo panels (soundplanks from ASC) and it  tamed down the brightness a bit as per my goal. But It also reduced soundstage width a little. 
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