AudioAficionado.org - Living room treatments get a makeover

I learned a long time ago that one of the most dramatic improvements that can be realized from a system is with the installation of room treatments-acoustic foam, acoustic panels, bass traps and the like-can all make a tremendous difference.

At one time, I had bare walls around behind my main system and around its loudspeakers. I had long heard that the addition of acoustic foam behind and around the loudspeakers would vastly improve the stereo presentation, in many ways. So, around 1992, I made my first foray into the room treatment arena with the purchase of I guess about 80 square feet of acoustic wedge foam. It was charcoal gray, and I basically glued it to the walls. It was not the best way to do it, but boy oh boy, did it make a difference! Some of the foam was new, and some was actually used. But I loved the difference it made.

After about 8 years, some of the foam began to deteriorate (after all, it wasn't all new in the first place). I knew I needed a better method to install the foam, so I set about designing a solution. What I came up with were a number of removable, wooden frames that could be easily taken down from the walls when it came time to replace the foam. The units consisted of the wooden frame, with a lightweight foamboard panel on which the acoustic foam would be mounted to (on the front side). On the back I would mount 3/8" mass loaded vinyl with open call foam decoupler, the aim here being to reduce sound transmission through the walls (I have neighbors). For the front side foam I chose a 2" thick pyramid design, in brown color (the available colors at the time were charcoal grey, blue, or brown).

I built the beginnings of the project in the year 2000. I was very pleased with the results, and so the following year I built another phase, and in 2010 I build a third phase. In the end I had 17 panels, in varying sizes from 12" x 12", up to 48" x 60", plus the frame dimensions.

Fast forward to the year 2020, when much of the foam is due for replacement. Some of it had gotten to be in pretty poor condition. The same went for the open cell foam decouplers on the reverse side. Also in the year 2020, I found myself on a 4 week furlough due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The first week of my time off was spent implementing the horn modifications on my JBL L220's, as some of you may be aware. I decided that now would be the time to refresh my foam panels; it's a very sizable project, especially if I am to refresh both sides of every panel. Worse yet, my system has grown substantially since the year 2000, and unfortunately most of the system would have to be disassembled, one half at a time, in order to replace the panels.

As it turned out, in contacting my original supplier, the brown colored pyramid foam was no longer available, only charcoal grey. So, I set about finding a different supplier. I settled on Auralex Studio foam, which is available in a nice burgundy color. I thought this would be a nice change in the room. Better yet, Auralex claims that their product would not deteriorate or crumble over time. I liked that assurance, since it had gotten so just touching the old foam started making a mess, and some of it was becoming detached from its foamboard mounting surface. I also found a different source for the rear side mass loaded vinyl-Acoustical Surfaces, Inc. Their product features a closed cell foam decouple which, like the Auralex Studio Foam, is said to not deteriorate with age. I ordered the materials, and away we went.

Here are a few photos as things progressed:

The old foam boards were painted brown, so any gaps between the acoustic foam would be effectively masked. Here I was cleaning the old adhesive (silicone sealer) off the panels.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...aed9b966_b.jpg

Here's a look at the back side of one of the larger panels, with the decoupler material:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...28998c23_b.jpg

Two of the three largest panels (48" x 48" plus frames) have cutouts incorporated to allow for power outlets. There was some homework involved in the original project to make this turn out right with the pyramids lining up with the outlets one the panels were hung:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3cc2991c_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...a69e5a00_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed9b0bb8_b.jpg

Some photos as the right (turntable) side of the system was disassembled, and the refreshed panels installed. Here you can compare the old brown color to the new Burgundy color.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...27cc9152_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...76270bc3_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ce5de823_b.jpg

Some general photos of some of the smaller panels:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...1329a8a1_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...5c3121c4_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...379df07e_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...d2ec77d9_b.jpg

Once I reached the left (electronics) side of the room, the worst part remained: All of the electronics had to be disassembled to remove the large brown panel you see here:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...6d349599_b.jpg

Of course, this was a major project by itself, with plenty of disruption....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...3de6a2b1_b.jpg

Here we see the system being gradually reassembled:

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...740a8a4d_b.jpg

I made a last minute decision to build (5) new, smaller panels as a finishing touch. I had plenty of leftover materials, and I'd considered doing this for some time.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...51ccd638_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ba5f8a6f_b.jpg

The finished project....

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...aaf13017_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...22572540_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...642814d6_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...360df24b_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...ed653b34_b.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/...2e3e533b_b.jpg

This was a pretty big project....between the L220 mod, and this effort, I was nearly at the end of my 4th week of furlough before I was done.

Was it worth all the effort? Oh my God yes. The speaker modification was a dramatic improvement. The replacement of all that deteriorating foam made a substantial difference as well. I just don't think I was getting the full benefit anymore from the old treatments. I replaced all that, and even added a little more. I know one thing-my living room system has never looked or sounded better. Ever.

Thanks for looking guys!