Attack Wall Redux

[jimtranr]

As suggested in a previous, admittedly somewhat tongue-in-cheek thread, having a surfeit of Tube and Studio Traps as the result of a change in listening venue is an incentive to tinker. This time around, that impulse has been more purposeful than playful, and the result a substantive improvement in sonic presentation.

What drives writers nuts is having their readers jump to conclusions. But I thought that in this instance it would be more useful to cut to the visual chase and give you the new look first:





The configuration changes are: (1) the addition of a 9" Studio Trap at the left and right first reflection points as those are determined by a mirror view from my midfield listening position; (2) the elimination of the 11" Tube Trap abutting each inboard 9" speaker-clamping trap; and (3) the placement of a 9" Tube Trap immediately outboard of the outer 9" clamping trap on each side.
As indicated in the diagram, the absorber center of each first-reflection Studio Trap faces the center of its respective speaker, while the absorber centers of the outboard 9" traps face the listener.

The initial impulse for this new placement was curiosity about whether and how much placement of traps at the first reflection points would impact the sonic presentation. Listening tests with vocal, jazz, orchestral, and opera program consistently confirmed an improvement in both focus and the articulation of soundstage space.

My next step was to remove the 11" inboard traps to determine the extent, if any, to which the presentation would be affected now that the first reflection points were treated. Most noticeable was a slight dropoff in perceived bass output and "gut impact"--very slight. In view of that, I decided to leave the 11-inchers out of the configuration for my next placement test.

Since the right speaker is (in my view) uncomfortably near a side wall--and the left speaker effectively doesn't have to contend with one--I butted a 9" trap against the right outboard trap, with its other "edge" hard up against the wall.

On went the same mix of program. Hmm...better articulation and overall presentation of space on the right side of the soundstage--and what sounded like the restoration of the bass "lost" with the removal of the 11-inchers. What would happen if...

I fished another 9" Tube Trap out of the bedroom system and placed it outboard of the left speaker's outer clamping trap.

Good grief, Charley Brown, Linus, Lucy, Snoopy...and especially Schroeder. Put simply, there's more "there" there, with tonal and spatial balance in spades, likewise with dimensionality, attack, and decay, and better-defined deep bass.

The only downsides: I have to move the left outer 9-incher out of the way for comfortable access into and egress out of the room (unless using the opening toward room rear) and the right inner 9-incher similarly away for TV viewing from the window sofa.

But for listening...it's a whole new ball (ala Prokofiev's Cinderella) game.

Jim

[chessman]

Jim, verrrry interesting! Congrats on being able to figure out what is helpful.

[Rafale]

Jim it is going to finish like that

[Face]

Pretty much you're killing early reflections and taking much of the room out of the equation, similar to what a constant directivity speaker does. I'm sure it sounds good.

An area rug would be a good way to top things off.

[jimtranr]

Originally Posted by Rafale

Jim it is going to finish like that

My wife has already anticipated you, Philippe. When asked by friends what she thinks of the look, she shrugs before replying, "We live in the ruins of an ancient Greek temple." At other times, she refers to the space as an Elysian forest.

[jimtranr]

Originally Posted by chessman

Jim, verrrry interesting! Congrats on being able to figure out what is helpful.

Randy, thanks. The sonic result actually strikes me as a tad counterintuitive, in that in the earlier configuration the supplemental inboard 11" traps, at least theoretically, more directly "covered" the reflective expanse of fireplace tile and TV flat screen. But with the outboard supplemental 9's instead (and in combination with the first-reflection traps), the rendition of overall space is far more precise and natural. Go figure.

[jimtranr]

Originally Posted by Face

An area rug would be a good way to top things off.

I'm working on it.

[jimtranr]

It works quite effectively in treating the first floor reflection. Won't my wife be surprised when she comes home this evening and discovers that I went shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond this afternoon.

[Rafale]

Jim....... you are going to have big problems if you persist in this direction

[jimtranr]

Originally Posted by Rafale

Jim....... you are going to have big problems if you persist in this direction