Room Acoustics (Hard Wood Floors)

[joepupo]

We recently added hardwood flooring in the home and of course what was a relatively dead audio room is now way too alive. It's a small 12x13 with Hales T1s. I added some thick throw rugs to the floors and curtains on the windows which helped some but it's still bouncy and a very different sound than before. Any inexpensive suggestions to help deaden the room further? The speakers are towards the corner and there is nothing behind them or on the side of them--should these corners be my focus? Thanks for
whatever advice you can offer.

[Woochifer]

Acoustic ceiling panels or rigid fiberglas boards are another way to tighten up the sound. Just line them up behind the main speakers, at the reflection points, and behind the listening position. You could also just move bookcases to the backwall as well to serve as make-shift diffusers.

[joepupo]

Thanks for the suggestions. I found some inexpensive 'audiophile' foam acoustic panels on eBay and such. Would putting these on the wall (not the ceiling) behind and alongside the speakers help?
Or is the ceiling a big part of the problem? The speakers are on stands and thus I assumed that the ceiling (5 foot higher) is less of the problem as the back and side walls adjoining the hard floor?
Thanks again

[dmb_fan]

I'd start out with some 2" studio wedge panels from auralex.com it's cheap and high-quality. you can also buy these panels from musiciansfriend.com or from your local Guitar Center.

As Woochifer stated, you (ideally) want to place them behind the speakers, behind the listener and at reflection points. Reflection points are the spot where first reflections bounce off walls and ceiling and floor and hit the listener. They are the spot on the wall you would aim for from the listening position if you wanted to throw a rubber ball, bounce it off the wall and hit the speaker. They can be found by using a mirror on the wall and shining a light from the listening position at the mirror. When the light shines on the speakers, that's the right spot. (Do this for the left wall aiming at the left speaker and the right wall aiming at the right speaker and for the two spots--left and right--on the ceiling).

How big a panels you use is up to you. I'd use the biggest ones your comfortable with up to the 2' by 4' panels. You can always hang a thin porous tapestry or something in front of them to help with appearances.

Hope that helps a little,
Adam

[joepupo]

This is excellent feedback and advice. I will try everything you suggested. Thanks again.