SMT Wing Diffusors vs. QRD Diffusors? Effective?

stereo

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Sep 1, 2012
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Hmmmm..

I cant agree with you here. The Varitunes can and will solve a suckout problem. Why, because we have done it in our room.
Please continue reading our thread in GS provided from Mctwins;)
same here. I had a big suckout which disappeared after we tuned the traps (the Varitunes, but even more important the massive custom traps I have behind backwall and in front corners- you need that to go deep enough in frequency... now I am flat down to 20Hz)
 

Elberoth

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I have two S-wings in my dedicated listening room. Even though the room is 'fully treated', I still had some problems with soundstage shift, due to the asymetric placement of the windows (both on the left wall).

Two S-wings paced at the first reflection points solved the problem. The soundstage is bigger, deeper and MUCH better focused. I'm extremely happy that stereo brought my attention to SMT products. I have plans to get two more in the near future.

A friend of mine, who heard the S-wings in my room, ordered 6 of them. He placed 4 at the sides and 2 behind the listening sit. In his room the effect was even greater than in mine. He just ordered 8 ceiling wings, which have yet to be mounted.

I cannot recommend the SMT products highly enough.
 

Bobvin

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So here in USA the distributor for these products is supposed to be Performance Acoustic Labs. I sent a detailed email to them a few months back but never got a response. When I spoke with Mike Latvis (Harmonic Resolution Systems) at a Music Matters event in Seattle this spring, he said he is doing less in this arena. Where are folks here in the states getting these products? How do you decide which ones to start with?

I ask because in my new room, I know I am going to want to build a trap/diffusion grid behind and between the speakers (I have a large window), and I am probably going to want to treat first reflections with some of the wings.

I'm eager to know because I am finally (ugh!) very close to getting my room setup here in our new place in Oregon.
 
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Elberoth

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I would contact SMT directly. This is what I did, although I'm based in the EU.

Matts is really slow with his emails, so be patient and send follow ups.
 

microstrip

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Hmmmm..

I cant agree with you here. The Varitunes can and will solve a suckout problem. Why, because we have done it in our room.
Please continue reading our thread in GS provided from Mctwins;)


I can add some support to your comment - a suckout is caused by destructive combination of one or more (out-of-phase) reflections. By suppressing one or both of them you will suppress the suckout. Absorption is really the best way to deal with suckouts.
 

stereo

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Sep 1, 2012
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I can add some support to your comment - a suckout is caused by destructive combination of one or more (out-of-phase) reflections. By suppressing one or both of them you will suppress the suckout. Absorption is really the best way to deal with suckouts.

yes... but the mechanism at work is air resonance in the cavity of the resonator rather than absorption. If for example you fill in the resonator with absorption material, the performance of the resonator at the resonance frequency decreases (the resonator is not as "sharp"). But on the other side, you decrease the "Q factor", which means that the resonator has a broader frequency range of application, which is often beneficial.
Strict use of absorption is for example when using bass traps based on fiberglass (e.g., Real traps). While they are effective at absorbing frequencies above 200-300Hz, they will do very little in the low bass.... or you need to plan for several feet thick of fiberglass given the wavelength of a 30Hz or even 80Hz signal...
To get flat frequency response in the bass, I don't know anything else than 1) electronic EQ, 2) Helmholtz resonator, 3) Membranes, 4) a lot of fiberglass in your attic, 5) a lot of luck.
 

Nyal Mellor

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Jul 14, 2010
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So here in USA the distributor for these products is supposed to be Performance Acoustic Labs. I sent a detailed email to them a few months back but never got a response. When I spoke with Mike Latvis (Harmonic Resolution Systems) at a Music Matters event in Seattle this spring, he said he is doing less in this arena. Where are folks here in the states getting these products? How do you decide which ones to start with?

I ask because in my new room, I know I am going to want to build a trap/diffusion grid behind and between the speakers (I have a large window), and I am probably going to want to treat first reflections with some of the wings.

I'm eager to know because I am finally (ugh!) very close to getting my room setup here in our new place in Oregon.

You might look at Vicoustic and RPG, both are active in the USA. Vicoustic make some very nice solid wood diffusers and are based in Portland. I did a custom bass trap front wall with Vicoustic diffusers front and center for Eddie Sudz who occasionally posts on here, he really liked it. RPG have their nested QRD diffuser, the Diffractal.
 

Bobvin

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Just a small correction, Vicoustic is based in Portugal, just a wee bit further than Portland ;)
 

microstrip

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Just a small correction, Vicoustic is based in Portugal, just a wee bit further than Portland ;)

Yes, they are manufactured not too far from my location! :)
 

caliaripaolo

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May 9, 2012
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I've just received 2 V-Wing type from SMT. My room is not completely dedicated for my system, but is used for music only. So I had to mix home furnitures with acoustical treatment items.
IMG_6091.jpg

V-Wing's add to my system more body, stronger medium-bass energy, bigger soundstage and refined details.

IMG_6077.jpg
 

flyer

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Hi all,

Attached you will find a picture of my current room, with my new speakers Rockport Avior and my Mono Totaldac ?

wk5k46.jpg

The room is (only) 22 m² and the acoustic treatment has been a kind of designed by myself after a (very) long time of trial and error and weathering some differences in view with my spouse;).

A period during which I found out that small room acoustics is a real niche within the science of acoustics and at the same time I found that not many acousticians understand the requirements of such dedicated room, actually hardly any of them… reason why I enrolled myself on a 6-month course about acoustics to improve the understanding of the theory behind the practice and start my job as an acoustic consultant.

During the adventure to seek the best design I came across a company on this site whose approach to acoustical problems in small rooms is definitely different from the pack. That company is SMT and I got in touch with its owner Matts Odemalm who has been very helpful in explaining his products and making sure I could hear them in my room.

To cut it short, I was enthralled by his S-wings and V-wings, so much so that, beside my activity as acoustic consultant, I will be holding some stock locally.

This cooperation led to a first result, rather quickly mounted, at the Hi End show in Brussels in October. Through the shop Noir&Blanc, Matts and I were enabled to treat their hi-end room (Rockport Atria / Gryphon Antileon EVO (worldpremiere in non-static display) / Esoteric Grandioso player and DAC) promptly making it the best room of the show (see attached link in French http://voir-et-emouvoir.blogspot.be/2014/10/une-ecoute-exceptionnelle-au-high-end.html?spref=fb) although the acoustic properties of the rooms, as usual at shows hosted in hotels, were far from ideal.

The S-wing is an ideal product to position at the first reflection points bringing more detail, focus and a wider soundstage and above all, a more homogenous frequency respons from the high treble till mid-bass (!!).

The V-wing is very similar in its functioning to the S-wing and is most ideally placed around anywhere basically, behind the listening position (can be up to 30 cms from listening seat), at other reflection points or in front of the front wall (as in previous post). Its time delay function (by about 5 ms) enhances the sense of the recording hall and makes the walls fade away.

Anyway, the next project is to change my room to a level 3 demo room for SMT which should be done by January.
I am aware that I shouln’t add much more to this as this will be read otherwise as a pure sales pitch but I guess the above is interesting to this WBF community that helped me on this path.

Cheers
Michel
 

dcc

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Hello Michel,

Congrats for starting this new professional endeavour. I am looking forward to getting your support and advice in the coming weeks.

Kind regards,

Denis
 

caliaripaolo

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May 9, 2012
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just received 2 more Wings panels.
The Effect is terrific , great!!!
Loudspeakers seem isolated from the ambient and the grade of details and refinement is truly incremented.
Is one of the best improvements of my system I have achieved.

IMG_6869.JPG
IMG_6844-1.jpg
IMG_6889-1.jpg
 

Bobvin

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I dig the wings. Trying to get some... even when my room remodel is complete, they'll be nice to put in front of the window. Have to pay international shipping though, at this time.
 

caliaripaolo

Well-Known Member
May 9, 2012
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Congratulation, with the improvement! Really nice looking room too. These wings are wonderful.
Best regards Krelle

Thank you Krelle.
Yes the wings are wonderful.
They help my system to have more stable image, balancing the lack of the left wall.
Congratulation for your system and room , very nice, BTW, we share same source I understood (Totaldac).
Paolo
 

Krelle

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2013
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Stockholm Sweden
image.jpg

Thank you very much Paolo! I had the Totaldac for test, I have Weiss now. I really liked the Totaldac, maybe I Will get it.

Have you tried to put the wings a little closer to the speakers on the side? you can go so close as 30 cm. If you put the wings a little forward like on this picture you can get even more effect. These wings on the picture have the protektionfilm on.

Kind regards Krelle
 

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