Free air, tighter bass - snake oil or cheap tweaks?
Usually when we talk about snake oil it's because some one is out to make a buck on the gullible. In the case of these tweaks I want to recommend I'm not going to make any money, and you may not spend any either, but I find them useful.
Cover your Speakers
I don't know why a modest change in your acoustics can make such a difference but I usually find that covering my speakers adds a lot of air and room ambiance. I like to use some thick curtains that I've had from a house a long time ago. Works really well.
Weigh Your Speakers
I don't mean put them on a scale, but put a weight on top. Of course, this doesn't apply to those with behemoths. I find this especially useful with lightweight speakers that are on stands or very small footprints. Think 2-ways, both bookshelf and floor standers. I think the additional weight resists the tendency of the woofer to move the box back and forth, creating a kind of Doppler distortion in the bass. In some cases I find this tweak can really make a speaker sound tighter and clearer from the mid-bass downwards.
Clean up the Floor
We often pay attention to the walls, but not the floor, especially behind speakers. I find that room treatment, cushions and blankets here can really cut out hash I didn't know I had.
Here is my snake oil advice: If you live in a high humidity area, use a dehumidifier to keep humidity at 40 % or below. If humidity gets higher than 50%, the sound will become muffled. If you like clarity, keep the humidity low. It's for real on a revealing system and in a revealing listening room. It's so obvious in my house of stereo. Every time. |
Your observation is correct, and it does seem counterintuitive. The speed of sound generally increases in less dense media, such as humid air compared to dry air. However, the perception of sound can be affected by various factors. In the case of humidity, it might not necessarily cause the sound to be muffled directly. Instead, humidity can affect the absorption and dispersion of sound waves. High humidity can absorb some higher frequency components of sound, leading to a perception of muffled or dull sound. Changes in weather conditions, temperature, and humidity can have complex effects on how sound behaves. While the speed of sound may be faster in humid air, other acoustic properties and environmental factors can contribute to the overall perception of sound. It's an interesting phenomenon, and your observation during the rainy season may provide additional insights into these acoustic effects. |
@yesiam_a_pirate +1 “Dreaming about and working towards the "next thing" is sometimes more fun than the score.” |
Banking back to being serious.....and perhaps an interesting query, @erik_squires What if I’ve an omni on a column, with nothing that could be considered a side? All I could do is wrap the column itself...and have been considering a tapered column that would ’accentuate’ the taper of the Walsh drivers.... On a practical level, too top-heavy imho.... @classic8 ...no kidding...*L* |
