Acoustic panels, how can you tell if they would help (1 Viewer)

[Reid_d]

How can you tell if acoustic panels would be of benefit? Besides the hand clap test there doesn't seem to be much info on how to test. We have our HT in the living room which is very large and opens into the rest of the house. Aside from making our great dane bark the hand clap didn't yield much. Is there any kind of paneling, drywall etc.. that is known to be bad for reflections. The reason for this question is we sold our house and moved into one of our rentals that has oak paneling (I think). Everything just seems to go right through the walls and reverberates into the rest of the house. The word "Booming" now has new meaning for me. Already started on bass traps, any idea if panels might also help?
Thanks

 

[DanielSmi]

I've never heard of panels hurting. I belive the deader the room the better I could be wrong I'm just getting started with acoustics so I'm no expert. I plan on making some ASAP since it's much cheaper and prolly just as good.

Daniel Smith

 

[JakeMcM]

I don't think panels will help with sound escaping through the whole house, I think that has to be solved with sheetrock, insulation, dry wall. It may help absorb a little bit but I don't know for sure. Acoustic panels do yield benefits anyway though. I think you can deaden a room too much. But absorbers or diffusors at the first reflection point on the side walls help, you find the first reflection point by moving a mirror along the wall and when sitting in teh listening position where you see the speaker is the first reflection point. Put absorber, or diffusor there, diffusors are for the most part expensive though.

I am going to make some acoustic panels per Jon Risch's instructions, you can do a search for and probably find the site I can't remember

 

[DanielSmi]

You can find the Jon Risch's absorbers here http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/index2.htm
I also plan to make these absorbers.

Daniel Smith

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

Reid,

With all due respect, it seems you are confusing acoustical treatment – which is for enhancing a rooms acoustics by, for instance, cutting down or absorbing unwanted reflections (as manifested by the “clap test” you mentioned) - with sound proofing, which is containment of sound in a particular location.

Unfortunately, you have your work cut out for you in your present location. The problem is that wood paneling is very thin and insulates much worse than sheet rock. Not to mention, the living room being open to the rest of the house. Soundproofing is generally difficult and, depending on just how much isolation you require, can be very expensive and invasive. Sound traps are for improving bass response, not for soundproofing. There are a few relatively inexpensive materials that can be employed that will help not solve – situation, but they require a wall between the home theater area and the place you wish to isolate. You won’t be able to help any of the areas that immediately open to the living room.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Reid_d]

Thanks for the replies. I don't mind spending the money to improve the sound. I just want to make sure its going towards actual improvements. Rather than ask 1000 questions is there a site or keyword so I can learn what would be some appropriate steps to take. Thanks again
Reid

 

[TimForman]

Try using Google and searching for "room acoustics". Tons of info available.