Excessive sibilance and edge....treat room?


Hi Everyone,

Before I purchase room treatments...

Will treating room help in reducing excessive sibilance and edge? Besides equipment mismatch etc etc...what causes a room to "sound" that way?

Room size is 10 x 14 x 10. It's a bedroom...concrete walls. Wood laminate floor with throw rug. Drop ceiling.

Thinking of treating 1st reflection points...side walls, front wall and back wall(back wall is actually a floor to ceiling wardrobe).

Should I use absorbers (foam or rockwool) or diffusors to achieve my goals? I was thinking absorbers for side walls and diffusors or absorbers for front wall. What do you guys think? Might skip treating the back wall altogether since it's a wardrobe. If I do treat the backwall...I think it would definitely be foam as it's light and I can use double sided tape.

Thanks for your help.
pc123v
"The microscope analogy is a predetermination by the recording venue and therefore the effective original. Whatever it is is the playback goal. I don't see how that relates to this topic. I think you are misplacing subjectivity with communication."

Again, its all subjective, but it relates to the topic because regardless of how the sibilance occurs, people are going to want to try and fix it. (At least the people that are bothered by it. I have friends that don't mind it in the least). Personally, I don't think my example is a predetermination by the recording venue and therefore the effective original. The reason for that, is vocal sibilance is not a natural occurrence. Its a product of the recording/playback chain.

What speakers use mylar ribbons? I don't think I've ever heard one before. I tried Magnepans, but they were way too sibilant for me. lol.
You used the microscope analogy as a bigger than life product as it would relate to a recording. Being closer to the subject doesn't necessarily conclude with sibilance. In any case, ime it's been a lack of performance on the amp's part that has been bothersome to me as far as sibilance is concerned. If an amp isn't fast enough to negotiate the important consonants to life like realism, it's a poor design no matter what else it's good at imo.

I should say mylar on aluminum foil such as those on my Kappa 9s. Or the solid mylar domes on the Kef 105s.
"You used the microscope analogy as a bigger than life product as it would relate to a recording."

Now I get what you are saying. I didn't mean it like that. I was thinking in terms of distance or proximity. For example, when a voice is very closely miked, its kind of like having someone very close to you, talking directly into your ear. Its not natural, or normal even. Since you hear so much more detail, I thought a microscope was a good example.

"Being closer to the subject doesn't necessarily conclude with sibilance."

Your absolutely right. You don't have to get sibilance just because you are close. I do feel, however, that the chance of sibilance occurring does increase in situations of close proximity. But even then, results can vary. Different equipment, room, personal taste, etc.., will all play a part.

"In any case, ime it's been a lack of performance on the amp's part that has been bothersome to me as far as sibilance is concerned. If an amp isn't fast enough to negotiate the important consonants to life like realism, it's a poor design no matter what else it's good at imo."

At least you know where the problem lies. Sometimes its very difficult to pin down the source of the problem. It can be any component, not just the speakers.

"I should say mylar on aluminum foil such as those on my Kappa 9s. Or the solid mylar domes on the Kef 105s."

I thought you may be referring to those folded ribbon tweeters that some companies are now using. Martin Logan is probably the best example. The tweeters on your Kappa 9's look similar to the ribbon tweeters that Genesis used.
There's lots of issues other than amp specifics especially when vinyl is the source but once everything is in order, I really think it's the amp you then are actually listening to. It always seems to be recognizable through any other changes. At a certain level I think it becomes the weakest link. On a descending scale of importance, I place it at the top for the reasons I've stated.

I've seen the Kappa Emit type tweeters on other brands of the same era. Can't recall any names.
JMO ... Pc123v’s syllabus and edginess issues are in the mid treble region between 2500 and 5000hz ... they are being created by excessive energy in that region ringing longer than normal ... this is referred to as Long or Extended RT60 or Decay times ... the note just keeps on ringing

Energy travelling up the wall collides with energy travelling along the ceiling at the wall/ceiling interface where the combined two energy in that region are summed together increasing the energy’s output in that region ... this extra energy just sustains the note longer than it should and the perception is Syllabus Edginess Fatigue and Irritation

You need to absorb and reduce that extra energy at the wall ceiling interface and the ringing goes down and along with it all the irritations

Simple test put on a set of head phones and if the syllabus is still there ... it’s your equipment

Pc123v has a very easy fix .. he has a dropped ceiling .. replace hard 2x2 or 2x4 hard tiles with two inches of Owens Corning OC703 or 4 to 6 pound Roxul batting ... this is what everybody uses for their first reflection and bass traps and would be a drop in replacement for the hard tile

First by replacing hard ceiling tiles you will reduce the bounce of the first reflection off the ceiling ... next you will be absorbing much of the energy that travels along the ceiling and collides at the wall/ceiling interface causing the extended ringing and a third side benefit is if there is a air gap between the dropped ceiling and the actual ceiling ... this will act as a bass trap
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