Bass Traps... Three Different Ones

Not really a question, more an observation...

• ATS Acoustics: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $37.95 ea.
• GIK Acoustics: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $54.99 ea.
• RealTraps: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $199.99 ea. :yikes:

Just kinda makes me wonder where the real value lies...

Yet another option. http://www.truesoundcontrol.com/products/DSTLEN8.html

First off, these are not bass traps per se, so much as standard acoustic panels that you would mount anywhere along the wall. A bass trap is more for corner mounting, because those corner interactions are what amplify the low frequencies and ideally you'd want them reduced as much as possible. GIK and Real Traps do make dedicated bass traps for corner mounting that cost more than the prices that you got quoted here.

GIK Tri-Trap ($129 each, must buy two so actual cost is $258)
Real Traps Corner Mondo Trap ($350 each)

I know that GIK is a relative newcomer (as far as I'm aware) that has built up a pretty good following as of late, while Real Traps has been around for a long time (I don't know anything about ATS). Ethan Winer of Real Traps is a widely acknowledged expert on room acoustics in professional circles and has published numerous articles on the topic, many of which are posted on the Real Traps website. These articles are an excellent read if you want to learn more about room acoustics in general.

The difference between Real Traps and the GIK products is that the Real Traps have more uniform absorption characteristics across the entire frequency range, while the GIK products are more tilted towards heavier absorption at the midbass. But, either product would be very effective at dampening room reflections, and have preferable absorptive characteristics compared with a bare wall or other materials such as rugs or blankets. The cost difference lies in how critically you want the more uniform absorption coefficient that the Real Traps provide.

http://www.gikacoustics.com/absorption.html
http://www.realtraps.com/data.htm

If you have technical questions, Ethan Winer (of Real Traps) and Bryan Pape (of GIK Acoustics) are both forum administrators at the Home Theater Shack. Bryan Pape posted a FAQ that provides a great overview on room acoustics topics. A lot of the other regulars there are also very knowledgeable on room acoustics. The HTS is also where you go if you're interested in learning more about using the Behringer Feedback Destroyer as a low-cost parametric EQ for your subwoofer or the Room EQ Wizard, which is a freeware open source application used for subwoofer equalizing and automated speaker measurements in general.

http://www.hometheatershack.com/foru...dio-acoustics/
http://www.hometheatershack.com/forums/bfd-rew-forum/
http://www.hometheatershack.com/roomeq/

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas

Not really a question, more an observation...

• ATS Acoustics: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $37.95 ea.
• GIK Acoustics: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $54.99 ea.
• RealTraps: 24 x 48 x 2" panel = $199.99 ea. :yikes:

Just kinda makes me wonder where the real value lies...

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That's why I took the alternative DIY route. I made a collection of bass traps using a DIY recipe found on another audio site. I have about $500 invested in four 14" x 3' and eight 18" x 3' traps. Using them in my music room, I get very smooth response in the bottom three octaves. I also made a couple of absorptive panels for the back wall to tame my planars.

rw

You're right Wooch. I should've titled it Acoustic panels...

I did read the informative explanation about what panels serve which purpose, placement and such on the Realtraps website. I'm going to go the same route E-Stat and L.J. went and build my own.The DIY panels that ATS offers are in my shopping cart and are my next arts-n-crafts project, possibly next weekend. It's just one of those things where the more I discover, the more complicated things become, and the more options to spend spend spend becomes the reality.

I got to the RealTraps website off of the Stereophile.com forums, but I've visited the Hometheatershack site too. One of these websites mentioned that burlap coverings on the panels allow higher frequencies to pass through more easily, which I found interesting because I was of the thinking that burlap would look kind of cheap. I'm still concerned though about how I should cut the fiberglass panels. I certainly don't want any fibers floating around in the air. Hopefully it's more rigid than what I'm thinking.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rich-n-Texas

You're right Wooch. I should've titled it Acoustic panels...

I did read the informative explanation about what panels serve which purpose, placement and such on the Realtraps website. I'm going to go the same route E-Stat and L.J. went and build my own.The DIY panels that ATS offers are in my shopping cart and are my next arts-n-crafts project, possibly next weekend. It's just one of those things where the more I discover, the more complicated things become, and the more options to spend spend spend becomes the reality.

I got to the RealTraps website off of the Stereophile.com forums, but I've visited the Hometheatershack site too. One of these websites mentioned that burlap coverings on the panels allow higher frequencies to pass through more easily, which I found interesting because I was of the thinking that burlap would look kind of cheap. I'm still concerned though about how I should cut the fiberglass panels. I certainly don't want any fibers floating around in the air. Hopefully it's more rigid than what I'm thinking.

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DIY guru Jon Risch was the guy that first brought burlap to my attention (his DIY projects are very frequently cited on this and other sites). Supposedly it's a very acoustically transparent fabric, but it also allows fiberglas fibers to bellow out. Plus, it does look cheap. There are other polyester stretch fabrics (the kind commonly used with speaker grilles) that are frequently recommended and look a lot better. But, for bass traps, it won't really matter how much the fabric absorbs or reflects the highs, since you're more interested in reducing the corner interactions with the low frequencies.

If you want a quickie intro to how effective acoustic panels can be, just run down to your local hardware or building materials store and get a box of acoustic ceiling panels or Owens-Corning rigid fiberboards. A box of USG acoustic ceiling panels will cost you less than $20, while the more effective fiberboards will run you around $80 for a box of 8 panels. Line them up behind your speakers to create a "dead" zone along the front wall and then place them at the primary reflection point along the side wall, and you'll probably hear a dramatic improvement in your imaging coherency and a less of a harsh edge if you got a lot of hard surfaces. It will look awful, but you'll get an idea of how significantly the acoustics affect your sound quality.