New flooring, different sound?

[popolz]

My current basement floor is some "commercial tiles" glued to the concrete and now I'm redoing it in laminated floor. Am I going to hear a difference? or since it's still a hard floor it will be pretty much the same?


on a side note... it's been a week now since I unplugged my HT hopefully I'll be done this weekend...

[paul_pci]

Tiles can certainly be more reflective than laminate, but niether absorb or diffuse sound. You'll have to let us know your clinical diagnosis.

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

My current basement floor is some "commercial tiles" glued to the concrete and now I'm redoing it in laminated floor. Am I going to hear a difference? or since it's still a hard floor it will be pretty much the same?


on a side note... it's been a week now since I unplugged my HT hopefully I'll be done this weekend...

I don't think you will hear a difference. They are both VERY reflective surfaces, and are terrible for both music and hometheater.

[kexodusc]

I agree with Terrence...I put laminate flooring in my basement HT room...It's great, durable stuff, but you'll probably want to consider taming it down. I went to ye trusy ol' Walmart and bought a few surprisingly nice area rugs for cheap. Helped a ton! You'd be surprised.

[poneal]

I have marble floors which is very reflective. I have a large area rug that helps tame things down. Otherwise, it kinda echos. With the rugs, cottony couchs, drapes, etc. things are much better.

[popolz]

It's a nice Japanese Cherry color... I can't put a rug on it


I'll finish the walls and ceiling in foam and black cloth in a near future... I guess with only the floor as a "reflective surface" it shouldn`t be that bad.

[popolz]

well It did change the room a little... I had to lower one of my front 3db, raise the center 2db, lower a surround 2db and raise the subs ~4db... I didn't expect that kind of change

[Sir Terrence the Terrible]

It's a nice Japanese Cherry color... I can't put a rug on it


I'll finish the walls and ceiling in foam and black cloth in a near future... I guess with only the floor as a "reflective surface" it shouldn`t be that bad.

Your speakers are actually closer to the floor than to any other surface around it. So treating the other surfaces without dealing with the floor just makes the floor bounce mode or node more noticeable. It is far wiser to treat the surfaces closest to the speakers where it will do the most good. Just treating the side walls and ceiling with foam is throwing good money after mediocre results. Most acousticians will tell you to carpet the floor, add room treatments where needed, and use diffusors on the ceiling. Good acoustics are a combination of diffusion and absorption, not just absorption. Too much absorption actually makes a room sound unpleasant, and just spotlights weakness in speaker design. Ever listen to music or watch a movie in a anechoic chamber? Not good.