# College student looking for some help



## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

I'm trying to decide which I should spend about $350 on: acoustic treatments or covering the walls in black velvet. Right now, acoustics aren't bad but I'm sure they could be a ton better. Watching dark movies is often irritating because I know my RS20 is capable of getting really dark blacks, but light is reflecting off my white walls and back onto the screen, washing out the image.

Here is a Photosynth of the room. It is 11ft wide by 13ft long by 8ft tall. Whichever path I choose, I have to make sure it is portable and doesn't require much to change it back (screws, nails, tacks, wall anchors are ok. paint is not). Someday I'll have my own home where I can set up a dedicated theater but, for now, I have to make do with what I've got.

http://photosynth.net/preview/view/58744f50-1f34-42d8-ba9f-eef869353cf9?startat=12

For acoustic treatments I'll put up a large panel (24"x48"x4") on each side and then three on the ceiling. I'm leaning toward the acoustic treatment option because I could cover them in the velvet and that should help with some of the reflections, but I'm not sure it would do enough to really make a difference and may make it worse by providing contrast in my peripheral vision.

What do you all think?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Well, I wouldn't do velvet on the walls regardless. Paint it. Velvet on the walls is just going to suck all the high frequencies out of the room.


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

Unfortunately, I can't paint since I'm renting. Everything I do has to be removeable. Do you have any suggestions that are temporary like tacking fabric to a wall?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

If you want to do it, get something that's not really absorbent like Muslin or Broadcloth.


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

Would duvetyne/commando cloth be good? I'm going for the absolute darkest I can go if I go that route.


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## Almadacr (May 5, 2011)

I'm lost ... are you guys talking about acoustic treatment for sound or a bright room for tv/PJ viewing ???


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## vann_d (Apr 7, 2009)

Acoustic panels will help with the visible light reflections as well, even without velvet. I have a limited amount of DIY panels covered with speaker grill cloth from Parts Express. The difference in visible light reflection is very noticeable from bare walls.


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

Almadacr said:


> I'm lost ... are you guys talking about acoustic treatment for sound or a bright room for tv/PJ viewing ???


Both. The acoustic panels will be used for sound, but I can cover them in some light absorbing fabric like velvet to help kill light reflecting back onto the screen. My initial plan was to cover all the walls in fabric and then put acoustic panels over it, but I don't have the money to do both. So I'm trying to find the best solution I can.


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## Almadacr (May 5, 2011)

Silas said:


> Both. The acoustic panels will be used for sound, but I can cover them in some light absorbing fabric like velvet to help kill light reflecting back onto the screen. My initial plan was to cover all the walls in fabric and then put acoustic panels over it, but I don't have the money to do both. So I'm trying to find the best solution I can.


 Well cost effective and depending of the size of the room i would get 1 or 2 cans of gray paint and go from that , Velvet will look good . I did mines with suede but got them cheap .


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## DruNewp (Mar 4, 2013)

I know you can't paint, so I won't say "just paint!" I would spend $150 or so and make some DIY acoustic panels for the sound. Use black speaker fabric to cover - that will also help with reflections. Take the rest of your budget and get creative with dark curtains or artwork to hang in the trouble spots to further help with reflections. What's up with that particle-board? Is it blocking a window?


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

DruNewp said:


> I know you can't paint, so I won't say "just paint!" I would spend $150 or so and make some DIY acoustic panels for the sound. Use black speaker fabric to cover - that will also help with reflections. Take the rest of your budget and get creative with dark curtains or artwork to hang in the trouble spots to further help with reflections. What's up with that particle-board? Is it blocking a window?


Yeah, the particle board is covering a window and giving me a place to mount that speaker. Cheap solution but it works.

Is there any reason to not use black velvet to cover the acoustic panels? I can get really absorbent velvet for $7.50 a yard, which is cheaper and more absorbent than most grill cloths. I know PE has some cheap cloth, but I've read that it is more of a dark purple color and isn't very opaque.


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## DruNewp (Mar 4, 2013)

Silas said:


> Yeah, the particle board is covering a window and giving me a place to mount that speaker. Cheap solution but it works. Is there any reason to not use black velvet to cover the acoustic panels? I can get really absorbent velvet for $7.50 a yard, which is cheaper and more absorbent than most grill cloths. I know PE has some cheap cloth, but I've read that it is more of a dark purple color and isn't very opaque.


I would use speaker cloth over velvet. I just picked up a bunch for $6.99 a yard.


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

DruNewp said:


> I would use speaker cloth over velvet. I just picked up a bunch for $6.99 a yard.


Any reason in particular? If they're the same price I'd think the velvet would be better since it's better at absorbing light.

This velvet: http://www.syfabrics.com/View.aspx/search/Black-Plush-Triple-Velvet/681/0


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

Another issue I have is regarding bass traps. Placing mid/high panels at the first reflection point on the sides and ceiling will be pretty easy, but bass traps are a bit more difficult, especially in the front since the screen is so wide. I can't change the width of the screen so how should I go about taking care of bass? I've moved the L and R speakers more central so they are inside the width of 16:9 content, which also leaves some room underneath the screen for a short bass trap if I want. Would it work to have 2 large bass traps along the corner of the ceiling above the screen? I have plenty of room up there to work with and that would also help with reducing light reflections back onto the screen quite a bit.

Also, if you look at the Photosynth and scroll to see the back of the room, you'll see that there is an opening which shows my closet. I have a bi-fold cloest door that I can put up if you all think that would help with acoustics too.


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

While velvet does a good job of absorbing light, it is also a good high frequency only absorber. Now if you're going to make panels that will be broadband anyway, then sure, the velvet is fine. Might reflect a tad in the very high frequencies but it will certainly be a nice improvement in light control and decay time in the room pending how thick you make the treatments.


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

You could use removable wallpaper such as the Sherwin William "easy change"


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## Silas (Jul 30, 2011)

bpape said:


> While velvet does a good job of absorbing light, it is also a good high frequency only absorber. Now if you're going to make panels that will be broadband anyway, then sure, the velvet is fine. Might reflect a tad in the very high frequencies but it will certainly be a nice improvement in light control and decay time in the room pending how thick you make the treatments.


Ok good to know. Thanks for your help!

Isn't reflecting some of the really high frequencies beneficial, as well, to keep the room from sounding dead? I was looking at some of your panels on the GIK website and see that you have a diffuser plate add-on for your panels that looked like that was their function.

And I hadn't thought about removable wallpaper. I'll have to look into that.


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