MDAT File and Pictures-Help do I need any treatment/which one ?

[remi89]

Hello,
My home cinema is installed in a living room as you can see on the pictures with furnitures, door, window and no back wall.
At the moment, I have 3 GKF speaker at the front (High gain french speakers), 4 KLIPSH RP-400M as surround and an old version Sub BW PV-1.
I already asked help from the community in the "sub forum" and it seems that the conclusion is that I should firstly add some acoustics treatments to my room before upgrading anything else.
You'll find the MDAT files from REW joined to the subject so you can (please) analyse the situation and give me advices on what should I buy to treat what problem and what will be useless.
Thanks in advance and if you need more infos, don't hesitate to contact me.

 

[thothsong]

Probably hard to answer without knowing physical constraints. As an example, I'd remove that bench in front of the couch, and see if that improves the Center impulse response. Treating first reflections from Left and Right seems problematic given the layout. You have pretty long bass decay times, especially in the 50-90 Hz range, so large bass traps would seem to be in order, but I'm not sure you have places to put them. You have very long decay times below 35 Hz, but there's probably nothing you can really do about that.

 

[ddude003]

Hi @remi89... Thank you for the photos and the .mdat file... It would be helpful if you filled out your profile to include your current kit... What is behind the curtain on the front wall, behind the screen? Any bass and wide band absorption would help... How about 4 of those GIK sound blocks absorbers, from the other thread, on the front wall scooted to the corners... A larger throw rug, including under the couch, covering that beautiful hard wood floor will help too... My rule of thumb is one quarter to one third of room surfaces, read walls, floor and ceiling, need some treatment... And to start, we make due with what we can work with... Even a simple stand of bamboo in the first reflection points can help... I see the .mdat file is from 2020? Maybe you could get a current left only, right only and sub only sweep and post the .mdat file...

 

[remi89]

Thanks @thothsong & @ddude003 for your fast answer !
@thothsong I could probably put some bass trap on the left side of the screen but no way on the right so I don't know if the result would be even worse or not ? do you have advice ? for the first reflections, I thought to put some amovible panels like these: https://gikacoustics.fr/produits/panneau-acoustique-freestand-gobo/
It could help, right ? It's always better than the window ??
@ddude003, there is nothing behind the screen and the black curtain, just a white reflective wall
yep, I think about amovible blocks absorbers more and more for the first point of reflection but if you advice me to add more of them on the front wall, why not ?
There's already a large rug below the bench and a part of the couch and it was already a little challenge to find this size in my area. Did you notice it or is it not enough (you'll probably tell me there's never enough rug )
As I don't have a laptop, it's not a effortless process to run REW and nothing (either in my rack or my room) has changed since 2020.

 

[ddude003]

I have studied your photos and looked at your .mdat sweeps... It does not seem like you can place soffit traps in the corners, so my next suggestion is to place bass absorbers at the front wall as close to the corners as you can... Thicker is better, so those other block absorbers could go there... If you add wide band absorbers at the first reflection points, I would do that as a second step... Remember the floor and ceiling are also reflection points and the hardwood floor is most likely the worst... That is why I suggested a larger throw rug/carpet to cover more of the hardwood floor... Here is a link that can give you some ideas about where are the best places to put absorbers in a room... http://arqen.com/bass-traps-101/placement-guide/... Actually, there is a lot of information on that website that will help you...

 

[thothsong]

I'm confused that you reference a window about first reflections? First reflections on the sides look to me to be more like the radiator and a bookcase. Have you tried finding them with a mirror or string? I'm an amateur with only experience in my own room, but to be pessimistic, I don't know that you have enough space in the right places for room treatments to make a substantial difference.

 

[remi89]

Ah @thothsong .. another POV that will not make my life easier
as I'm single, it's not an easy task to check the mirror trick but I would say that the first reflection should be effectively just before the window and on the first bookcase that I try to empty and perhaps put away.
I'm lost as many of us I suppose because @ddude003 seems sure that some treatment should help and you're not; and I'm in the middle with no way to test before buying I think.
@ddude003 , what do you think of the arguments of thotsong ?

 

[thothsong]

I guess I'm blind, as I don't see any window in your photos, only the glass doors. String and painters tape can work as well as a mirror. Do you have heavy blankets that you can hang over the bookcase or radiator? That might give you a reasonable indication of whether it will help. But of course you'll need access to a PC to run REW.

 

[ddude003]

I don't think there is anything to argue about... As I said above, as a first step, bass absorbers on the front wall as close to the corners as possible... And the floor... I don't know why your so focused on first reflection points... And sure, any absorption will help... In my opinion it seems the least of your worries... BTW, did you review the Argen link? Notice the sequence of the most important places to treat?

I agree with putting some heavy blankets, beach towels, laundry basket full of clothes to see if it makes much difference to your ears... The bookcase and radiator seem like natural diffusers...

 

[remi89]

Yeah, I see...
First the bass treatment in any corner (or neer in my case) and then the first reflection point if needed.
Thanks, I'll search for products deliverable in my area that follow your advice:"my next suggestion is to place bass absorbers at the front wall as close to the corners as you can... Thicker is better, so those other block absorbers could go there... If you add wide band absorbers at the first reflection points, I would do that as a second step..."
I'll let you informed when it will be done.
Thanks a lot !!!

 

[ddude003]

In "small rooms" aka residential rooms, bass is always the first issue to attack... In a "small room" the floor is your first reflection point... The next question is, do you wide band absorb or diffuse at your left and right reflection points... There is plenty of research information regarding "small room" acoustics available in the public domain via google if you are so inclined...