I need help with WAF sound deadening materials.

[MotorToad]

I'm trying to make improvements to what might be the worst acoustic room I've ever been in. My friend who is adopting my older equipment (mid-fi at best to most here but some fine stuff IMO) just bought a house and the listening room is HUGE, asymmetrical, vaulted ceilings, with hardwood floors and no curtains. The kitchen, living room, and dining room are all one, big chasm of echoes (and insufficient ventilation). The beginner HT system sits on the back wall on the left side of the room, with the ceiling low to the left and rising to the peak well right of the right speaker. The odds of moving it are zero, and there's really no other place for it. [The "architect" involved should be beaten! Or worse, he should be given one day listening to Summits and then a lifetime of Bose 301s just so he knows what's missing.] Anyway, sitting 8-10 feet from the TV you can't understand the dialog, it's all muddy (somehow achieved with no bass present at that location). Sitting further back, say in the middle of the pool table, it sounds better, but it's just not comfortable. Walking around the room it's obvious there are huge bass nodes; the fireplace thumps like a rapper's Escalade and right behind the sofa it sounds like the Vienna Boys' Choir.

To go along with this, small sharp sounds carry like mad. Put a fork in the sink at night and everyone gets woken up. Making coffee is an alarm clock. Also, his wife has the worst WAF factor I've ever seen, she absolutely will not tolerate anything that might spoil her new Dream House. I've googled and googled looking for sound absorbing materials but everything comes up either in the UK or is "professional" treatment that doesn't fit in a home.
Something like this:

would be awesome but it's in the UK.

Is there anything out there that looks modern, artsy, tasteful, and is reasonably priced? I think if I brought a bass trap to their house I'd leave in it. And no one likes getting bounced by a 95 lb girl. :-|

Thanks in advance!

 

[theWB]

Try this link to ASC picture panels.
You can even supply your own picture and they'll custom make one for you.

http://www.asc-home-theater.com/picture-panel-samples.htm

 

[SugarMedia]

Mtoad- this guy too ordinary panels and then framed them in a high-gloss crown molding. I think they look pretty darn sharp.

In addition, you could take this same idea and add a soft glow light behind them for a whole other effect.

As for the picture panels posted earlier. I would be very weary, as it could look cheap and pixelated. Not the route I'd choose, even though on paper it looks good.

 

[MotorToad]

Thanks, guys! I like the framed panels... not sure they'll pass muster, though.

 

[nsgarch]

As an architect,

Thanks, guys! I like the framed panels... not sure they'll pass muster, though.

with a minor in acoustics, I'd recommend she have all the primarary (meaning large) wall surfaces (and even ceiling surfaces) upholstered in a nice off-white linen-type fabric, over 1/4" foam. Women love the look; it is expensive, but in this situation, piecemeal treatments here and there won't accomplish much It will make the room friendly not only to audio, but to quiet, intelligable conversation too, no matter where in the room you happen to be. Bass traps may still be necessary, but they could be placed (or even built) into the corners, with the same fabric stretched right across them at a 45 degree angle and you wouldn't even know they're there.

 

[DTB300]

Bass traps may still be necessary, but they could be placed (or even built) into the corners, with the same fabric stretched right across them at a 45 degree angle and you wouldn't even know they're there.

I have seen corner traps made where the corner is framed out (built as Neil said), filled with treatment (your choice of treatment type) then covered with a fabric almost of choice. And for bass traps, floor to ceiling traps are the best way to start. With these types of corner traps, one would never know they are there as it appears the corner is just a 45 degree instead of the usual 90 we all see.

Do not give up on treating your room as there are many ways to archive the results and still look very family friendly.

 

[MotorToad]

Searching through stuff my friend found this, and I'd like ot know what you guys think about it. It's not plastic like it looks, but bamboo pulp paper. It looks like it'd be great as diffusing material in conjunction with some sound deadening wall hangings, and it's paintable.

item: see saw wall flat

designer: inhabit

Inhabit's Embossed Wall Flats are designed to expand in any direction. With peel-and-stick adhesive tabs and an automatic pattern repeat these wall tiles are simple, modern, versatile and goof-proof. You can cover a existing wall, help disguise a not-so-smooth wall or add a modern pattern to any room setting.

Customize them by rotating every other tile or row, mix-and-match patterns or paint them to coordinate with your decor. The rule is there are no rules and the important thing is to have fun with it. It?s low stress, low commitment and a big payoff in the way these tiles will impact a space.

Only for use indoors. Sorry but they are made of paper. Wall Flats can be used to do an entire room, one wall or to create free-standing-art pieces.

Dimensions: 18"x18" panels
Content: 10 panels per box
Coverage: 22.5 square feet
Color: Off-white paintable surface
Material: Molded Bamboo Paper Pulp with Peel-&-Stick adhesive tabs

Wall flats in photos at left have been primered and painted white.

An Earth-Smart Green Product.

Lead Time: Ships in approx 1-2 weeks

The have some other designs http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/inhabit_wf.html but the one I posted is the only one that's even remotely bearable, IMO.

 

[SugarMedia]

Searching through stuff my friend found this, and I'd like ot know what you guys think about it. It's not plastic like it looks, but bamboo pulp paper.
The have some other designs http://www.velocityartanddesign.com/inhabit_wf.html but the one I posted is the only one that's even remotely bearable, IMO.

I think it looks pretty cool. Althought your home should probably be a minimalistic decor to pull it off. if I were to go with this I would place a layer of corkboard underneath and then this on top.

When I lived in NYC, the clothing store Barney's took shoe boxes of all different depths and sizes, painted them white and tacked them to the wall. If you know Barney's, then you'll know this was tastefully done. Still made me think it could be a stylish form of diffusion.

Also, before I do anything to my walls I usually photoshop the texture in and see how it looks, I recently did this to a stone wall I was considering and after looking at the image, I liked it so I had some one called in to build it. You can look on my stereo "system 130" to see the photoshop version. Here's an image of the real thing:

 

[MotorToad]

Wow, that is nice!

That might help with something else that's been bugging me, tool the room only has a 90º "box" corner at the front-left floor. It'd probebly look a lot better done in sections than with intersections at the walls that are all screwed up. Thanks!

 

[raygunn]

I guess I accidentally did something right when I did my room...

with a minor in acoustics, I'd recommend she have all the primarary (meaning large) wall surfaces (and even ceiling surfaces) upholstered in a nice off-white linen-type fabric, over 1/4" foam. Women love the look; it is expensive, but in this situation, piecemeal treatments here and there won't accomplish much It will make the room friendly not only to audio, but to quiet, intelligable conversation too, no matter where in the room you happen to be. Bass traps may still be necessary, but they could be placed (or even built) into the corners, with the same fabric stretched right across them at a 45 degree angle and you wouldn't even know they're there.

My homemade panels are simply "Hushboard" cut as needed and faced with 1/2" foam and covered with a neutral fabric. It has worked great in my room and in other rooms where buddies have their systems.
Best of all, the wife or S.O. is included in the decision of shape and fabric, so there is a high WAF/SOAF as well!
(Please excuse the messy room pic )

Hushboard is a Georgia-Pacific profuct and it is carried by most Home Despots.
http://gp.com/build/product.aspx?pid=1071

Cheers,
Ray

 

[SteveInNC]

If you're going to attempt any of the cloth/foam overlays, keep in mind that you really need to use stuff that is fire-rated. Foam rubber and/or plain cotton duck will burn like hell and emit lots of toxic smoke. The fire at the nightclub where all of those people died a few years back was predominately caused by them using untreated egg crate foam on the walls that lit off in seconds when a pyro effect went awry.

Stuff like Auralex foam is treated to be fire-resistant, which is one of the reasons that it costs what it does. It's available in various thicknesses and patterns at your local Guitar Center (no affiliation). You can purchase fire-retardant chemicals (typically based on Borax) to treat cloth if you're making a custom wall covering.

 

[raygunn]

A Great Point! ...and one I completely overlooked when doing my room.

Now I'll have to read up on the fire retardant qualities of Hushboard.
DOH!

Cheers,
Ray

 

[MotorToad]

As an aside.... We had a "tent fort pajama party" here at the house (don't ask, we're kids! )

My roommates tacked sheets onto every wall and ceiling in the main part of the house. The sound. Was. So. Incredible. I wanted to leave the house like that!

Probably not WAF-friendly for most folks. But if you get the chance, DO IT!

 

[Huey]

rofl motortoad..absolute ZERO WAF there..