# Bass Traps for dummies expanation needed..:)



## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

At a "high end" stereo store the other day and their listening room has triangles in the front corners. I was told these make the bass smoother. Honestly sounds like snake oil to me. Well maybe if you have 150k worth of equipment and a recording studio, but for the average Joe and his HT? 

Ok lets say there is a difference. Is it that your making your room more round the square? Are sound wave sobing in the 90 degree corners wanting to get out? Ok that can sorta kinda could make some sence :coocoo:, but then you can use corners that are solid and just shoo the wave away or porous that traps them and turns them into heat (I think I got that right)

Last one is why spend Hundreds of dollars on these things. Can't you go to a foam supplier in town and have them cut you a pyradim shaped peice and velcro it to the corner?


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Actually, I'd rather have a moderate system in a properly set up, properly treated room than a ultra high dollar setup in a compromised setup and with no treatment.

The room and the speakers (and placement) are by far the 2 largest things that determine what you hear. 

Bass tends to build up at boundaries where velocity is low and pressure is high. Corners just happen to be efficient since they're at the end of 2 boundaries. Corners are not a cure all, they're just an efficient place. You have the porous part right - that's what chunk style absorbers do - resist air motion and generate heat due to friction. Cutting the corners off doesn't help anything. You've now just created 2 corners instead of 1.

IF your foam supplier is using open cell foam (most use closed cell for everything except acoustic purposes) and you can handle having to have them be 2-3x as thick as fiberglass would have to be, sure, you could do that. You'll just have no idea what they're really doing and no way to develop a proper acoustic plan for the space without the data.

I will guarantee you that if your room is not treated (front wall, side wall reflections, broadband bass control), you're not even close to hearing what your system is really capable of.

Bryan


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## Andre (Feb 15, 2010)

Well perhaps in my case ignorance is bliss. The back wall has the equipment rack and dvd bookcases so nothing on that one. The front wall has windows (this is a room above the garage), I put roller shades on those and a heavyish curtain floor to ceiling across that wall. Wall to wall carpet with underpad. and at either side wall is a big fluffy couch (angled in at the back). In the middle seat is my wifes favorite, a very large foam filled beanbag. Seating if its just the two of us is just lieng down on either couch or she is in the beanbag. More the 2-3 we are sitting. Yes, all will whince at the lieing down part but its comfortable on my old back


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## bpape (Sep 14, 2006)

Well, the front curtains are at least helping with the upper mid and high frequency reflections from the surrounds off the front wall. Back wall is what it is.

The side wall reflections would still benefit from being controlled.

Bryan


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