2. misc-audio
  3. 163356-139155

About to invest in room treatments; GIK, RealTraps, DIY -- what is your experience?

I'm reaching the point soon where I'll invest in some treatments for my two channel listening room. Standmount speakers with tube amps. Room about 28x14ft with low ceilings, 6.5ft. Probably different kinds of treatments are needed. I'm not exactly sure yet what I'll need or how much to spend. This is not my final listening room, but I won't be able to configure another one for a few years.

I've seen many people tout GIK on this forum and I'm already communicating with them a bit. I will also reach out to Real Traps and possibly others. I do not feel bound to go with just one company or solution, so if you've mixed and matched, I'm curious about that, too.

Any recent comparisons between these two, or others? Do you have stories of good or not so good products or service? Any comments about the value of competing products? I'm not super handy or have a lot of free time, but DIY is also considered. 

128x128hilde45
audio2design
1,351 posts
 
The Stillpoints Aperture is the only acoustical product that will give you both absorption and diffusion at the first reflection points of a system. And you want both!

- The Stillpoints Aperture have been found effective from 40 HZ to 40K HZ.

- DIMENSIONS: 22" high x 22" wide x 3 1/8" deep



These two statements are in conflict. Define "effective". I am guessing that was an incredible stretch for effective at 40Hz


3. Unevenly control one frequency over another. (This is often the case with traditional room treatments)



Well I am going to call BS on that one. Simply their size says this is actually impossible, but when has that stopped audio companies from claiming things impossible or unrealistic.


Sure, they probably do something. However, where are the performance graphs ... you know like real acoustics companies provide?  They don't work equally well at all frequencies, so what do they really do?   It is hard to take a companies products seriously when they make such claims.

Post removed 
paradisecom
336 posts
 
I just purchased all the materials from ATS Acoustics and built everything myself. The finished products are great and my listening room is a whole new animal, now. It really changed the room for the better. For just over $200, I was able to make (8) 2' x 4' x 2" thick panels.  Any room treatment brand you choose should yield excellent results since anything will be an improvement. 
hilde45's avatar
hilde45 OP
5,062 posts
 
I appreciate the suggestions so far. I have taken hundreds of scans with room EQ Wizard and have someone very experienced helping me look over and analyze the scans. I am managing to deal with the low frequencies pretty well and have optimized listening position and speaker placement. After a lot of experimentation I reorganized my room and set up along the short wall rather than the long wall. I understand that a variety of different treatments are likely necessary and the stillpoints product sounds almost too good to be true, because from what I have heard most rooms need to be mostly covered. Low frequencies have a lot of energy and need either a very deep trap or some kind of a dense trap that is a bit less deep. I have never heard of a product that absorbs from 40 to 40,000. 
Ag insider logo xs@2x
lt2917
7 posts
 
I bought a pair of GIK self-standing panels.
They are 24 x 60 inches in dimension and 4 inches thick.
I found experimenting with different room placements was a worthwhile education.

More to discover