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Audiophile weirdness

post #1 of 19
11/27/09 at 2:08pm
Thread Starter 
One of the best things about being a headphone enthusiast is that you don't have to worry about acoustic treatments. I see so many photos of people with very expensive speakers, amps, CD/record players, cables...etc, but just placed in any typical room with no acoustic treatment at all. That's almost comedic because all that money is wasted because the room isn't even treated. Why? It's not like acoustic treatments cost an arm and a leg compared to all that crazy expensive audiophile gear? At least get some bass traps and first reflection absorbers?
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post #2 of 19
11/27/09 at 2:56pm
I used to use the classic foam tile acoustic treatments in my living room. I think it makes a very nice difference, and as you say it isn't all that expensive. But my wife objected to their appearance. Now, I'm recently divorced. The FOAM IS BACK.
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post #3 of 19
11/27/09 at 3:22pm
Yeah well it sometimes bugs me when I see very nice gear in a room which doesn't really lend itself to the music, or hasn't been treated, or even at worst, a horribly looking set up system. Who am I to judge though.

Some rooms however, can sound very good without treatment due to the furnishings etc. I find my room to sound better with just first reflection absorbers. I've tried it with bass traps (which worked wonders when I had different speakers and a REL sub) but it just doesn't sound as lively and the bass is so well controlled without them that I just prefer not to have them.

Headphones, plug in and go!
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post #4 of 19
11/27/09 at 3:26pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by chadbang View Post
I used to use the classic foam tile acoustic treatments in my living room. I think it makes a very nice difference, and as you say it isn't all that expensive. But my wife objected to their appearance. Now, I'm recently divorced. The FOAM IS BACK.
I don't mean to laugh at your misfortune, but that was pretty funny.

You should've gotten the nice fabric covered acoustic panels with the classy frames.
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post #5 of 19
11/27/09 at 3:31pm
Thread Starter 
EDIT: double post
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post #6 of 19
11/27/09 at 3:32pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by KevDo View Post
Some rooms however, can sound very good without treatment due to the furnishings etc.
That's true. Sometimes you get lucky and the room your setup is in actually doesn't have any sever room modes, and your listening position just happens to fall into the most neutral sounding spot. Since we're not supposed to walk around while listening, severe room modes experienced in other spots in the room would mean nothing. But all this is if you are very lucky. Most people aren't.

I wonder what percentage of the audiophiles know to simply just clap their hands in their room and listen to the ringing to see how bad the reflections are, or to buy a sound pressure meter and measure the frequency response of their room?
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post #7 of 19
11/27/09 at 3:56pm
Dont worry, I meant it to be laughed at.
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post #8 of 19
11/27/09 at 8:24pm
There's an anechoic chamber down the hall from my lab. I wonder how music would sound in there...
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post #9 of 19
11/27/09 at 8:35pm
My old house was perfect. I upgraded my speaker system as far as I could, there was stuff on the walls, good thick carpet ect. I got a great deal on a bigger place that is more convenient about 2 years ago and brought my stuff here. I didn't even think until I set the speakers down.......high ceilings, tile floors bare walls.......you can snap and listen as it echos. I am wearing my headphones 95% of the time and my speaker upgrades ended and turned into headphone upgrades.
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post #10 of 19
11/27/09 at 8:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lunatique View Post
Why? It's not like acoustic treatments cost an arm and a leg compared to all that crazy expensive audiophile gear? At least get some bass traps and first reflection absorbers?
Because many of those audiophiles happen to be married men.

Acoustic treatment (especially bass traps) often have a very low WAF.
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post #11 of 19
11/27/09 at 10:08pm
My first wife always started her day by peeing, and then turning on the TV. A good stereo just can not compete with a low-wattage TV and a three inch speaker. It must be something in the psychoacoustics. I was out of audio for several years.

My current wife helped me set up my music room and is now a designated audiophile. It's love, baby!
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post #12 of 19
11/27/09 at 10:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by TopPop View Post
WAF
Wife Approval Factor?
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post #13 of 19
11/27/09 at 10:41pm
Room treatments are nothing. The real weirdness begins when you start building dedicated listening rooms.

Sooner or later, it'll happen to me, too.
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post #14 of 19
11/27/09 at 10:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by squid+ View Post
Wife Approval Factor?
Yup. That, or Wife Acceptance Factor.

Not really a term that needs to be used around here very often, but is a normal acronym over at Audio Asylum.
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post #15 of 19
11/27/09 at 11:15pm
Well that's why I use headphones to begin with.. in the end it is a cheaper and more practical alternative to having a designated "listening room". My wife would not like that!
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