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We have such a calculator on our web site: http://www.componentacoustics.com/ It is an Excel spreadsheet which keeps you within the dimensions recommended by the European Broadcasting Union and the International Electrotechnical Commission. Regards, Terry

I can't completely agree with this. Yes, resilient channel is for soundproofing. It has been pretty thoroughly studied, and will attenuate sound by as much as 10 STC points, depending on construction details. However, it has little effect on frequencies below around 100 Hz. Wall and ceiling...

Hi Marion, Home theater acoustics is a complicated subject. It is the domain of professional acousticians like myself. Top quality home theaters need a lot of absorption. So do commercial surround-sound movie theaters. The principle is the same for both. The movie soundtrack contains all...

Hello Gray, Kevin and Dave are absolutely right in their recommendations. As for placement, most people make their absorbers do double duty, both to reduce reverberation (improves the general accuracy and fidelity of your sound), and to reduce first reflections (improves the spacial...

Chris, I'm afraid an equalizer won't help your situation for anything above subwoofer frequencies. You need to reduce reverberation from the hard surfaces, as others have said. When you tried foam on the walls, how much of the room surface did you cover? How thick was the foam? For...

Hi Gary, Construction techniques are the major determiner for sound isolation. However, acoustic quality (except for background noise level) isn't significantly affected by construction methods. About the only thing I can think of that can be significant at an early stage is the ratio of room...

Hello Bill,

Byron, The caulk brand doesn't matter. The one thing to make sure of is that it is permanently flexible. It should say so on the label, with words like "permanently non-hardening" or "stays flexible for 50 years." RSIC-1 is an extra (and costly) device, supposedly designed to provide...

It is critical to caulk EVERY layer, including at the edges of the room. If you don't, sound will breach the uncalked layer, and it may as well not be there. - Terry

Byron, It sounds like you are aware of the options. Ceilings are tough. Resilient channel and thick drywall are probably your best options for a limited amount of ceiling thickness. If you can manage it, go for a second layer of 5/8" drywall instead of the mass loaded vinyl. It has more than...

Hi Greg, You can connect the two speakers in series, rather than in parallel. This doubles the speaker impedance to a nominal 16 ohms, and should be safe for your amplifier. I'd suggest trying out both single and double speaker configurations. It may or may not make a perceptible...

Multiple subs can be difficult to position. It is hard enough to find the best spot for one! Have you tried moving the sub away from a corner and/or wall? I second Wayne's suggestion about a parametric equalizer. But it's always best to try to minimize the amount of EQ required first. - Terry

Resilient channel is a metal, Z-shaped building product. It is specially designed to isolate sound. It has a flexible portion which functions kind of like a shock absorber. It's been around for maybe 50 years, and is a standard material for architectural acoustics. Lengths of ordinary...

About soundboard ... The acoustic specs of soundboard are hard to find. But as far as I know, it is no better than a second layer of drywall at sound isolation. Homasote brand advertises an STC of 45 for a single stud wood-framed wall - Homasote on both sides, underneath the drywall. That's...

Yup, Ron-P is right. Too much mid to high frequency absorption (the kind provided by 1 1/2-inch fiberglass), and your room will sound dead. But if low frequencies are absorbed as well, the room sounds beautifully in balance. Commercial theaters have wall construction that adequately absorbs...

Hi Larry, If you put a layer of acoustical absorber behind fabric, you will greatly improve the acoustical quality of your home theater. Drywall, even with just thin fabric in front of it, has relatively poor acoustical absorption, and makes for a too "live" home theater. Such a theater takes...

I don't know the specific acoustical properties of either of these types of foam board, but in general, foam board does not have very high sound absorption. It is not open celled and porous, and is far inferior to unfaced fiberglass. You won't find rigid or semi-rigid fiberglass at Home...

Mike, For the symmetrical layout, dipoles will work just fine. Don't cancel your order! The nice thing about acoustical treatment is that in general, it is easily added to a finished room. When you do add it, you should notice a pretty dramatic improvement in the performance of your...

Hello Steve, Since you don't care about sound transmission above the ceiling, you have some good flexibility. Ordinarily, sound isolation and high quality room acoustics are conflicting requirements. You often have to address them separately, which can result in elaborate ceiling structures...

Mike, The only problem I see with the asymmetrical arrangement is that your surround sound could sound, well, asymmetrical! I'd recommend using direct radiator surrounds (if its not too late) pointed right at the listening area, and lots of acoustical absorption. You appear to have a lot of...

Hello Patrick, There are two parts to home theater acoustics: "sound treatment" and "sound isolation". They are very different. Sound treatment is what makes the movie soundtrack sound accurate and realistic inside your home theater. Sound isolation is what blocks the sound from passing...

Another very popular covering is fabric specifically manufactured to be acoustically transparent. Guilford of Maine's FR701 series is the "standard" for this. The advantage over burlap is aesthetic - these fabrics come in a wide range of colors and styles.

Fiberboard is not an effective sound absorber! It has some utility for sound isolation (= noise blocking = "soundproofing"). Thin carpet will have some modest sound absorption effect, particularly at high frequencies. Most people use a MINIMUM of 1/2 inch of rigid or semi-rigid fiberglass...

Fiberglass batts by themselves won't add much sound isolation. You need something to help isolate the ceiling joists from conducting sound right through to the drywall. Resilient channel is a very effective low-cost way to add sound isolation. It's been used for this purpose for at least half...

Hello Robert, I don't recommend styrofoam for your construction - it is not porous, and will not dampen sound like ordinary unfaced fiberglass batts, mineral fiber, or cellulose. The double stud construction will give you a high degree of sound isolation. Just make sure to use non-hardening...

Just to pick a nit: ;) Technically, these are not bass traps. ASC has called their product the "Tube Trap", and the name has become justly famous. But this design peaks out at around 200 Hz, not the under 100 Hz which a real bass trap is capable of. The latter is what you need to get into...