Recently Filed in Acoustics

There’s a certain formula that custom electronics professionals use to determine how far to situate the seats from the screen. In this 14-by-16-foot converted playroom, that placement happened to be against the back wall. Lined with a 14-foot-long custom-made couch, the back provides room for the entire family to sprawl. Unfortunately, it’s also the place where bass collects from the surround-sound system.  “Bass tends to gather in different areas of the room at different levels,” explains Gustavo Serafini, co-owner of Pure Audio Video, Fort Lauderdale,… View this story
Acoustics • Home of the Year Awards 2009 • Cool Homes

Get a killer home theater, add some acoustical absorption panels, and I bet you never think those noise-dampening products could be green—as in made of eco-friendly materials. Worse, I bet you never think of what many acoustical panels usually contain: formaldehyde, acrylics, artificial color and petroleum-based chemicals that can off-gas, emitting potentially harmful VOCs (volatile organic compounds). In other words, they’re bad, bad, bad. Kinetics Noise Control says it now uses eco-friendly fiberglass insulation from Knauf Insulation that is made of natural, bio-based materials. Knauf’s… View this story
Acoustics • Green Technology • Info and Answers

I just had a home theater system installed by MyerEmco in my great room – an open contemporary room with vaulted ceilings. I want to take up the old wall-to-wall rugs and install hardwood floors. A large sectional Persian rug will be put down. How will it affect the sound bounce and what alternatives are available to capture the perfect sound from the new system? By the way, I have leather furniture. - Mike, Lorton, VA A. Mike, this question is right up my alley.… View this story
Acoustics • Media Room • Audio • Ask a Pro

Q: I’m building a high end home ($5M+) which includes a separate building with a 1/3 basketball court, among other things. The court will have exposed furniture grade trusses. The court is designed in such a way that the moveable goal can be pushed back into a storage closet and the court will transform into a formal ballroom. What materials could be used to dampen the sound in this area beyond the normal and obvious acoustic materials? - Chris, FL A. Steve Haas, president of… View this story
Acoustics • Audio • Ask a Pro

The GiK Tri-Traps will improve the sound in your room. They will. It doesn’t matter the speaker or the amp. The DVD player or the processor. The Tri-Traps will help curb your bass problems. Are they a panacea? Will the fix everything? No, of course not. But ask any acoustical expert and you’ll find that corner bass trapping is high up on their list of “first steps to a better sounding room.” Build Quality The GiK Tri-Traps are, as you might expect, triangular. They are… View this story
Acoustics • Reviews • Audio • Product News

Planning on going the do-it-yourself route with your media room or dedicated theater setup? You can try to optimize the room’s audio setup by heading over to Amazon these days. That’s where acoustical treatment provider Auralex Acoustics has decided to stock up on its direct-to-consumer retail biz. A quick “Auralex” search will bring you options like Wedgie foam diffusers, SubDude subwoofer isolation risers, MOPAD sound isolation pads, SheetBlok roll of mass-loaded vinyl, Studiofoam pyramid panels, bass traps, liquid foam adhesive and other sonic helpers for… View this story
Furniture • Acoustics • Home Theater Accessories • Audio • Product News

Some people will give anything for a home theater. For Greg Powers, that anything included a bit of his property. Greg didn’t have a basement or other area he could spare, but he did have land. So Greg built a freestanding, dedicated structure behind the pool area. “We live on a half acre,” he says about sacrificing the space. “Besides it was for a home theater—not hard at all to allocate dirt for its construction.” The foundation was poured in May 2000. After that, the… View this story
Acoustics • DIY Home Theaters • Home Theater • Cool Homes • Slideshows

Home theaters require sonics and visuals to go hand-in-hand for powerful performance. So why not the same for some of the extras that go into your theater, like acoustical treatment? Exactly, says sound control solution provider Auralex Acoustics. So the company teamed with iSky to deliver acoustic panels that are enjoyable to gaze at in your theater, and in this case, star gaze. Auralex’s SonoLux Elite fiber-optic acoustical panels combine the company’s Pro Panels and iSky’s fiber-optic star-field lighting for a unique acoustical treatment. Your… View this story
Furniture • Acoustics • Home Theater Accessories • Product News

I recently ran across a unique home theater installation. The entire space, from top to bottom, was covered with draperies. It looked so unlike other home theaters I’ve written about in the past, I just had to learn more about this room. Anika Ruff, president of Integrated Electronic Interiors in Winter Park, FL, presented a strong case for the curtains, saying that they simply looked better than typical fabric acoustical wall coverings. Because the room is so tall—15 feet—the acoustical panels would have broken up… View this story
Acoustics • Home Theater Accessories • Shades and Blinds • Home Theater • Info and Answers

Q. Bass accumulates in the corners of my 20x20x10 room. I know I could use bass traps but I don’t want ugly acoustic treatments. Can you recommend any other solutions? - We, San Diego A. Acoustical treatments don’t have to be ugly anymore, but if you are completely opposed to having any treatments you only have a couple of other options. The first would be to get a second subwoofer (I am assuming you are using only 1 subwoofer at this time). A second (or… View this story
Subwoofers • Acoustics • Audio • Ask a Pro

Let’s face it, acoustical panels generally aren’t going to win any beauty pageants. They can stick out like sore thumbs in your theater sometimes, but Auralex Acoustics will soon be giving you millions of options for a better look. The Indianapolis acoustics solutions experts have an inked an agreement with Hallmark Licensing that will provide for access to its images on Auralex’s new custom-printed SonicPrint line of acoustical products. You should be able to find something befitting your theater plans and decor within Hallmark’s library… View this story
Furniture • Acoustics • Home Theater • Audio • Enhancements • Product News

Can acoustical treatments be “green?” You bet, and Auralex Acoustics is proving it with its Eco-Tech acoustic absorption panels due out on Oct. 15. The 1-inch thick panels are made of 100-percent recycled poleyster fibers, according to Auralex. The company also says the new panels are available in the same color choices as its other panels, and at no increase in price. “It doesn’t cost more to go green,” says Tim Martin, Auralex’ director of marketing and sales. Aurelex is also spicing up the look… View this story
Acoustics • Green Technology • Audio • Info and Answers