Acoustic Panel Help


Hello All,

I'm in need of your input.  I have a front wall behind my Maggie's on each side of an Oled screen (please no hate, I know..I really do know better, just can't do anything about it yet), and I want to cover the cables while also providing some diffusion for the Maggies.  The space for each panel is 20"x60" but each panel must be raised from the wall enough to cover the cables.  I thought I'd build  1/2" frames and use Velcro backing to attach the  frames in order that I can still get to the cables when needed.  What I don't know enough about is which diffusers would be good to use in a situation like this. Brand, and cost, etc.  I've assumed diffusion panels b/c the Maggie's are dipoles so I don't want to necessarily lose that sound with absorption panels, right?  For those with the experience and who can take the time to help,  please see my profile pictures for reference,  and let me know what you think is the best approach for this project.   I would greatly appreciate your help.  Thanks!!!

128x128audiodidact

A hard reflecting surface, like your OLED screen centered between the speakers is not necessarily a bad thing.  This often actually helps to create a sense of focus or solidity of the center image.  You can try covering it up with something like a comforter to see if that helps; if it does not, don't worry about it.  You can also try diffusion on the rest of the wall behind the speaker, but that too may no be necessary.  There are commercial panels made by companies like GIK that may improve the sound and can be covered to your liking visually (including blowups of photos that you like), but before spending that kind of money, you could try othe decorative "treatments" like large potted plants (real or fake).

Good luck on your endeavors.   

Doing this will be a trial and error experiment. I have used Maggies for about 30 years and have been through more changes than I wanted.  These dipoles are tricky as for room treatment, just a small change in treatment will produce great effect.  So take your time, listen for a few days or so before making another change.  Nobody has the same room as you.

+1 for @larryi ‘s comment. I have a wall-hung plasma tv between my speakers (which are placed about 3 feet in front of the wall) and my imaging is precise with a great sense of 3-D instrument location. The tv does not seem to affect the imaging (the tv was not always there).

 @audiodidact 

I have a similar setup with 1.6's but with a little more room to the sides of a 50" plasma to the side walls which are at a 45 degree angle from the back wall. When I had a 24" CRT on a table in the middle I had very good sound staging. I tried absorptive panels on the back wall and it just killed everything so I put them at a first reflection point on one far sidewall. To my surprise, it tamed that 100 hz's or so bass node that Maggies seem to produce. When I put the plasma on the table about 2' from the back wall it kind of messed up the soundstage. When I hung it on the back wall I got 90% of the sound staging back compared to the CRT. Good enough. I write this because I've always wondered if diffusion on the back wall next to the plasma would improve the soundstage even more. I'll try to follow this thread and see what you learned.

Jim S.