Foam Factory acoustic foam...?

[bacchanal]

Anyone heard of Foam Factory acoustic foam on ebay? The prices/nrc ratings seem a little too good to be true.

[Woochifer]

Intersting. The NRC ratings look very comparable to the Auralex studio foam products, and the prices are close to half of what Auralex charges. The difference is that Auralex is a proven commodity, while I'm not sure how this Foam Factory outfit fares in comparison. If the foam has these absorption characteristics and is Class B fire rated, then the prices are pretty good for what you get. It's the usual caveat associated with buying anything off of eBay that you can't try out beforehand.

[bacchanal]

Yeah, my dream is to 'fix' the vaulted ceiling in my living (listening) with a combination of Auralex t'fusors and foam, but until I run into some disposable income, I'm using the old "ceiling tile on the wall" method of absorbtion to eliminate some of the nasty echo.

Anyway, this foam factory stuff would just be for my newest little project: turning my 'office' into a podcasting studio! I suppose I can take the chance in there.

[Woochifer]

Yeah, my dream is to 'fix' the vaulted ceiling in my living (listening) with a combination of Auralex t'fusors and foam, but until I run into some disposable income, I'm using the old "ceiling tile on the wall" method of absorbtion to eliminate some of the nasty echo.

Anyway, this foam factory stuff would just be for my newest little project: turning my 'office' into a podcasting studio! I suppose I can take the chance in there.

How is the ceiling tile approach working for you?

I suspend five 2'x4' acoustic ceiling panels (three along the front wall and two along the back wall) in my room and they do a reasonably good job of reducing the echoes (obviously, the rugs and furniture contribute as well). I actually had better results when I lined up five panels along the front wall behind the main and center speakers. The difference with the bare wall was startling, with big improvements in the overall coherency and tightness of the imaging, and a noticeably smoother sound. But, that was just too unsightly and when I went to the molding hook suspension setup that I currently use, my wife put the brakes on how many panels would get lined up. So, this leaves some gaps in between the panels. Still better than a bare wall, but not quite as good as it sounded before.

I have not done anything with the ceiling, and I'm curious as to how much a high mounted absorber might improve the sound quality.

I'm thinking about going with the corner absorbers that Eighth Nerve sells. I know from doing SPL measurements, that I'm getting a fairly substantial horn effect up in the upper corners of my room. Some absorption up there might help tighten up the sound on my system even further.

[Lensman]

Be aware that you're probably getting what you pay for from these guys. According to the ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials), the organization that sets NRC measurement standards, proper NRC ratings must be stated in multiples of .05. As ratings of Foam Factory's materials don't conform to their standards (compare their ratings to the previously mentioned Auralex: http://www.auralex.com/testdata/), their testing methods must be considered suspect. Still, they're very cheap. So if you're not fighting localized acoustic problems, they could be a great bargain choice. Just don't assume they'll equal the performance of products from Auralex, Sonex, etc.

[N. Abstentia]

Not sure about those other panels, but I love my Auralex

I recently added pictures of my Auralex panels so far in my new room...link below. The panels are at the very bottom.

[bacchanal]

How is the ceiling tile approach working for you?

That is kind of a loaded question. It's a different issue than what I'd use this foam for. My room is about 17.5' by 18' with a vaulted ceiling and carpeted floors. The slap echo in this room is insane! With bare walls a clap will give you an echo that sounds something like a laser gun from a cheap sci-fi movie. I used the 2'x4' panels (covered in burlap for looks) in a relatively evenly spaced, semi-strategic pattern. They are hung (picture style) at about verticle center on the walls. I have 8 panels in all. My goal was simply to tone down the first reflections and to just make the room less active in general. The result is pretty good. A clap still give a pretty nasty echo, but the echo dissipates much more quickly now that the panels are up. Unfortunately my sound still gets pretty muddy and fatiguing at higher volumes.

I'm actually attending a workshop on acoustic design for studios (sponsored by sweetwater.com and auralex) next Tuesday, so hopefully I'll pick up some knowledge when I'm there. I have plenty of friends in the music industry, and I know a sound engineer or two. The thing that I hear the most is that I need diffusion as well as absorbtion. I'm just not sure how to go about merging good acoustic design, my budget, and living room aesthetics.

[gonefishin]

How is the ceiling tile approach working for you?

I suspend five 2'x4' acoustic ceiling panels (three along the front wall and two along the back wall) in my room and they do a reasonably good job of reducing the echoes (obviously, the rugs and furniture contribute as well). I actually had better results when I lined up five panels along the front wall behind the main and center speakers. The difference with the bare wall was startling, with big improvements in the overall coherency and tightness of the imaging, and a noticeably smoother sound. But, that was just too unsightly and when I went to the molding hook suspension setup that I currently use, my wife put the brakes on how many panels would get lined up. So, this leaves some gaps in between the panels. Still better than a bare wall, but not quite as good as it sounded before.

I have not done anything with the ceiling, and I'm curious as to how much a high mounted absorber might improve the sound quality.

I'm thinking about going with the corner absorbers that Eighth Nerve sells. I know from doing SPL measurements, that I'm getting a fairly substantial horn effect up in the upper corners of my room. Some absorption up there might help tighten up the sound on my system even further.

Hi Woochifer,

Putting some treatments up in the corners is certainly a good idea. I've got an arragement of DIY and eighth nerve both.

HAve you read Ethan Winer's Build a better bass trap and his Acoustic FAQs. A good read...of course, if you follow all the included links...you've got a lot to read

I believe the 2'x4' acoustical ceiling panels don't contribute "all" to much until you get 3" thick. *I think it's the equivalent of Owens 701 or 1lb. high densitity fiberglass. Also...you'll get a bit better response (for reflections) if you space the fiberglass panels an inch away from the wall with some spacers.

You can also use Owens 703 or 705 (or Knauf 3lb or 6lb) for better results. For the first reflection points 2" of 703 FSK backed spaced 1" off the wall is a good reflection panel. The 2"fsk could also be used in the ceiling/wall corners or in the tri-corners as well.

For the bass traps you'll want at least 4" thick. What I found out with the Knauf fiberglass is that they don't want to make the 4" unless you order large quantities. So you can save money by ordering one case of 2"fsk backed and one case of plain. Then use some spray adhesive to bond the 2 panels together.

A couple of places you can purchase the high density fiberglass is from sensible sound solutions and amerisafe (You'd be better off giving them a call (630)862-2650 and ask for Daniel Ruszkowski.

The foam on ebay? I know the quality varies from different companies...If I were to place an order, I think I would place a small order to verify the quality (and desity) of the foam. Then, if it's what you're looking for...place the rest of the order.


happy listening

dan

[bacchanal]

Just a little tidbit...
I went to that sweetwater workshop the other night. The speaker, Russ Berger , talked a little about a product he helped develop with auralex called a space coupler. The product's actual use is a little complicated. It involves coupling the room with an additional space to create a slowly diminishing decay to make the space sound larger than it is. However, he also mentioned that the coupler works as an absorber if placed a few inches out from a wall as you would a traditional foam panel. It basically bounces the sound around enough to significantly reduce it by 8db or so before it bounces back out into the room. You could also put foam behind it to enhance absorbtion.

The key is to have it positioned so the sound hits it at a shallow angle. Obviously if the sound goes straight in, it isn't going to do much.

Anyway, it's a pretty neat idea that I hadn't really seen before as an absorber (although it looks similar to some diffusers i've seen), and it looks like it would be pretty easy as a DIY project.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Auralex pArtScience Space Coupler

Quantity: 2 per box (=8 ft²)

Size 23 5/8” x 23 5/8” x 3”

Finish Natural Wood

For audio professionals who seek to provide a small room acoustical environment supportive of a wide range of performance and recording styles, the pArtScience™ SpaceCoupler™ is an acoustical treatment that creates a natural “large sound” within a small room footprint. Unlike current alternatives which involve custom design and remodeling, the SpaceCoupler works within the current room footprint for a fraction of the cost.

• Loosely Couples Spaces: Creates a natural “large sound” in an otherwise small room.

• Waveguide Design: Redirection of sound energy offers an attractive alternative to traditional absorptive and diffusive surface treatments.

• Modular: 2’ by 2’ panels used in a variety of applications and placement options, including “T-Bar” grids.

• Beautiful Solid Wood Construction: Widely used for musical instruments and decorative finishes for over 1000 years, Paulownia wood has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any wood in the world.

[RGA]

Anyone heard of Foam Factory acoustic foam on ebay? The prices/nrc ratings seem a little too good to be true.

I am pretty sure this is what i am using -- I bought these panels off of Corwin99 who posts here as he bought a large shipment and had extra so I bought them up to try and am still experimenting.

Still there is a considerable improvement to the slap echo I was having and my room is significantly damped -- but it is nice to handle the first reflection. Yes it works.

[dmb_fan]

This site has some test data for auralex and for foam by mail. A quick glance makes me think for half the price of Auralex, you get half the quality. But it probably works a whole lot better than most folks' efforts with curtains and rugs.
http://www.realtraps.com/data.htm