Difference b/w RPG Skyline and GIK QRD diffusors


Hi,
What is the difference b/w these two products in acoustical terms. They seem to be of a different design, but supposed to achieve the same acoust. effect (diffusion).
What should one expect to actually hear in the room with one product in place, vs. the other?
Rives Audio specified design with 6 RPG Skylines on the front wall for my basement, which is $2400. And I'm wondering if GIK QRD panels will offer comparable performance for significantly less money ($258 for two 2'x 4' panels).
maril555
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RPG Skyline diffuse in two directions, so you get a hemispheric soundfield around one of these, as opposed to the vertical OR horizontal diffusion, whereby you get a hemicilyndrical soundfield.

As Elizabeth mentioned, the math is publicly available, and you could make this yourself, maybe using wood of a square section close to the RPG section, and cut it to the required lenght. Is not difficult, but it will be time consuming as you'll need a lot of pieces. For the math you can check out the Master Handbook of Acoustics by Alton Everest (I've seen links online to the pdf version, but I do have the book), which is highly recommendable reading anyway if you are getting into acoustics.

Horacio
I would recommend RPG above the listener (in a low ceiling) and on rear wall behind the listener. I would not recommend RPG on the front wall between the speakers unless you are using Bose or other rearward radiating speakers.

Frankly the majority of frequencies radiating backwards from conventional speakers are the LF - below about 300 Hz and some up to perhaps 600 HZ. So absorption panels or bass traps are most likely the best option there.

An RPG on the front wall may look good and many listeners will be more impressed when they can see and are looking at the RPG skyline but honestly it will be more effective nearer the listener or on the back wall behind the listener where parasitic reflections can muck up your imaging and collapse the sound stage.

Two cents...
Of course, you can easily go overboard with RPG as Elizabeth points out. This studio used TONS of wood and not even ONE piece of wood is the same length.