P3ESR and wall treatment directly behind speakers

[Rafe Arnot]

Hi,
I did a few searches and poked about the forums a bit to see if I could find anything definitive on how the P3's respond to acoustical wall treatment directly behind them, but couldn't see anything.

Apologies if I missed a previous post on this.
I've got enough space in my audio (living) room to let the Harbeth's "breathe" when they arrive next week; about 15" from the rear wall, 40" from the side wall, 9' apart and I'm about 9' seated, in front of them. They'll be on rice-damped Target MR-24 stands.

This is roughly what my current set-up looks like, only change has been to put the RP6 on a Rega wall shelf.

I probably need a nice big rug to put down on the hardwood to soak up reflections a bit more off the floor, but since that's going to run me about $1,000 to keep my lady happy, it's on hold for a bit, and since my friend can give me some rather nice black, geometric-dimpled acoustical wall panels, I thought I'd give them a try behind the P3's first.

With the rear-ported B&W's I have presently, I've found the bass tends towards slightly boomy off the rear wall, but I can't pull them out any farther without risking foot traffic mishaps. I can't get the wall panels before the Harbeth's arrive and my CM1's are being picked up tomorrow, so no chance to see if they'd help them either.
I'm not worried about the P3's sounding good (I know they will!), but since they are sealed (reacting differently, I imagine, to wall placement compared to the ported CM1's) I'd like to do what I can to help the P3's sing their best in my space.
Any input would be great, many thanks!

[A.S.]

Draping cloth on the walls - as effective

You know how you sometimes are walking along the street and out of sight you hear some youngsters in their car, the stereo playing loud beat music? Then they finally come into view, and at 50 or 100m away the beat causes people to turn and look? You can't hear the middle and top frequencies; you surprise yourself how how much energy bass notes have and how they really 'carry'.

A skimpy piece of foam, no matter what colour, or how many nice dimples it has, or how expensive, or whatever waffle is written on the pretty carton, is as effective a sound absorber at low frequencies as your wife's stockings. Almost useless.

If it did absorb LF, then expensive anechoic chambers like this, would not need to be built. Those wedges are as long as they are to absorb low frequencies: for medium and HF, your skimpy foam would do perfectly well.

Hope that helps.

"Let's get real about audio" is my new catch phrase!

[Rafe Arnot]

Tube traps etc.

Hey Alan, thanks for the response.

I see your point, and as someone who has experience with audio production that should have been obvious to me.*sigh

I'll poke around the web and see what turns up on bass traps and room treatments in general.
Cheers!
–R

You know how you sometimes are walking along the street and out of sight you hear some youngsters in their car, the stereo playing loud beat music? Then they finally come into view, and at 50 or 100m away the beat causes people to turn and look? You can't hear the middle and top frequencies; you surprise yourself how how much energy bass notes have and how they really 'carry'.

A skimpy piece of foam, no matter what colour, or how many nice dimples it has, or how expensive, or whatever waffle is written on the pretty carton, is as effective a sound absorber at low frequencies as your wife's stockings. Almost useless.

If it did absorb LF, then expensive anechoic chambers like this, would not need to be built. Those wedges are as long as they are to absorb low frequencies: for medium and HF, your skimpy foam would do perfectly well.

Hope that helps.

"Let's get real about audio" is my new catch phrase!

[A.S.]

It's obvious - eventually!

Hey Alan, thanks for the response.

I see your point, and as someone who has experience with audio production that should have been obvious to me.*sigh...

Almost everything to do with audio is obvious - when it's pointed out. That's audio's greatest strength, and weakness. The qualifications to be deeply involved in audio are zero, and that's a good thing because it opens the door to everyone who is curious about sound. We need to sustain and improve that open access. The flip side is that without a sufficiently objective, rational, science-believing, disciplined membership, those with the most persuasive arguments, the slickest presentation and the best understanding of human consumption psychology have, and will, take maximum advantage of subjectivism.

We try our very best here to act as a counterweight to that, being as accessible as possible.

[Rafe Arnot]

Open door

Amen brother.

Almost everything to do with audio is obvious - when it's pointed out. That's audio's greatest strength, and weakness. The qualifications to be deeply involved in audio are zero, and that's a good thing because it opens the door to everyone who is curious about sound. We need to sustain and improve that open access. The flip side is that without a sufficiently objective, rational, science-believing, disciplined membership, those with the most persuasive arguments, the slickest presentation and the best understanding of human consumption psychology have, and will, take maximum advantage of subjectivism.

We try our very best here to act as a counterweight to that, being as accessible as possible.