Vicoustic Multifuser 64 compared to the RPG Skylines, any opinions?

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

i'm using 3 stacked RPG Skylines as my center diffuser. they are actually DIY versions made of foam, and painted. they sound wonderful. but i would prefer that they were made of wood.

i have stumbled across a product that is made of wood and looks to not be cost prohibitive and would attach to the same place as my Skylines. it is the Vicoustic Multifusor Wood 64

i'm considering buying three of these panels and substituting them for my Skylines and see of they are close enough to get the same job done and improve the look.

i would appreciate any opinions on how the performance of these 2 products (Skylines and the Multifusor Wood 64) might compare. if they do radically different things then it's probably not worth the time and effort to try it.

RBFC · Oct 4, 2012

It's hard to say, Mike, since you have that picture with those old, tiny speakers there....

When do the MM7's arrive? Soon, I believe....

Lee

Steve Williams · Oct 4, 2012

They look the same to me as well, just made of wood rather than foam

Bruce B · Oct 4, 2012

I see where the surface is angled on the Multifusor where the RPG are flat.

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

RBFC said:
It's hard to say, Mike, since you have that picture with those old, tiny speakers there....

When do the MM7's arrive? Soon, I believe....

Lee

yes; those 'tiny' 525 pound, 73 inch tall speakers are gone. the main towers of the MM7's should ship out to me the end of next week (or beginning of the folowing week), about when i'm arriving at RMAF. it's approx a week transit time from San Diego to Seattle. the bass towers follow approx 2 weeks later.

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

Steve Williams said:
They look the same to me as well, just made of wood rather than foam

Bruce B said:
I see where the surface is angled on the Multifusor where the RPG are flat.

i think there are more 'cells' on the Skylights, as well as they are deeper, the edges are sharper, and they have less mass so are less likely to absorb mid-range frequencies and change the tone. the Skylines appear to be a more precise tool. that is my observations. whether those differences make a difference is my question?

what i'm trying to figure out is the degree of change between the 2 so i can make an intelligent decision before a spend $2k.

FrantzM · Oct 4, 2012

Honest question: WHY do you want it to be made of wood? I would prefer foam based on its lack of resonance and great absorption characterisitcs: You hit a piece of foam not much sound .. do the same with wood .. It has a "sound" You can damp it with ..some kind of ...foam material . I think the foam you have is good ..
My advice: Leave the room alone .. Don't mess with excellence ... Performances tend to follow a parabolic curve you are clearly very close to the top ... it is however very easy to go down ...

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

FrantzM said:
The honest qquestion is why do you want them to be made of wood? I would prefer foam based on its lack of resonance: You hit a piece of foam not much sound .. do the same with wood .. It has a "sound" You can damp it with ..some kind of ...foam material . I think the foam you have is likely good enough..
My advice: Leave the room alone .. Don't mess with excellence ... Performances tend to follow a parabolic curve you are clearly at the or not that far anyway... it is however very easy to go down ...

thanks Frantz, proabably very good advice. i don't want anything to change about the sound and the super solid center image and the whole soundstage balance and focus, but i would prefer it to look 'nicer' as that is what i look at as i listen. that is my only motivation.

i suppose i need to slowly step away and forget it.

audioguy · Oct 4, 2012

Mike: The first thing that comes to mind is: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you want a different look, a few cans of spray paint won't cost a few thousand dollars !! (I have Skylines on my back wall and they have been 4 different colors).

Also, did not the side walls originally contain the "standard Rives Audio 1 foot diameter half round wooden diffuser thingies" like I had in my theater:

What prompted the change to the current diffusers - and who makes that product?

rad · Oct 4, 2012

Hi Mike,

I tend to agree with the statement.. If it ain't broke don't fix it... BUT! at the same time wood is beautiful to look at & the wood products preform very well.
They are used in many a 2 channel rooms as well as theaters, studios, & concert halls.

I have experimented with all kinds of different products, plastic, wood, foam, ect.. I found no ill effects using wood & love the sound & looks.
The key is finding the right products to treat the frequency extremes in the room & system.

After all look what 70 to 80% of your room is made of.. as I'm sure it sounds great!

Kind Regards,
Gary

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

audioguy said:
Mike: The first thing that comes to mind is: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you want a different look, a few cans of spray paint won't cost a few thousand dollars !! (I have Skylines on my back wall and they have been 4 different colors).

Also, did not the side walls originally contain the "standard Rives Audio 1 foot diameter half round wooden diffuser thingies" like I had in my theater:

View attachment 5975

What prompted the change to the current diffusers - and who makes that product?

yes, i still have my side wall diffusers;

5 years ago i did add the triple stack of Skylines to my 'naked' round front diffuser here;

to this;

the change to adding the triple stack of RPG Skylines made a large positive difference by increasing the solidity and focus of the center image as well as increasing the overall definition in the soundstage. my motivation is that the Skylines are not very aesthetically pleasing to my eye.

as far as wood; obviously looking at my pictures my room is 100% walls and ceiling wood or finish grade plywood. OTOH wood is not an ideal product for acoustical treatments requiring neutrality and precision because it always has an influence on the tonal qualities; it absorbs sound energy to some degree. so while it looks great, it also changes things. if your system has a natural balance and life then adding wood will slow it down.

so while i'm tempted by the look i'm wary of the acoustical effect. and my system is so high resolution at this point that i know there would be no free lunch.

Steve Williams · Oct 4, 2012

audioguy said:
Mike: The first thing that comes to mind is: "if it ain't broke, don't fix it". If you want a different look, a few cans of spray paint won't cost a few thousand dollars !! (I have Skylines on my back wall and they have been 4 different colors).

Also, did not the side walls originally contain the "standard Rives Audio 1 foot diameter half round wooden diffuser thingies" like I had in my theater:

View attachment 5975

What prompted the change to the current diffusers - and who makes that product?

Chuck

I thought RPG recommends against painting Skylines

microstrip · Oct 4, 2012

Mike,

Two good reasons why you should go with the Vicoustic Multifuser 64:

1. Such a nice room deserves real wood - although they can "sound" good, IMHO plastics or paints are not a visual match for an wooden decor,
2. The Vicoustic Multifuser 64's are manufactured at a factory located less than 100 miles from me!

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

Steve Williams said:
Chuck

I thought RPG recommends against painting Skylines

it requires special paint or the polystyrene will bubble and melt from the chemical reaction.

my Skylines are DIY and made of stiff foam sheets cut and glued which is paintable, it's not moulded.

audioguy · Oct 4, 2012

Mike Lavigne said:
it requires special paint or the polystyrene will bubble and melt from the chemical reaction.

Apparently not too special. My Skylines are about 12 years old, have been painted with your basic spray can paints I got at Home Depot (twice) and from typical wall paint that was professionally sprayed (also twice). They are as solid as the day I purchased them.

Mike: thanks for the additional photo - that helped. Are the half round thingies at the first reflection point?

dallasjustice · Oct 4, 2012

Is it possible to move the diffusors to the wall behind the seated position? It looks like there is a door there but I can't really tell.

cjfrbw · Oct 4, 2012

Don't think the skylines look bad at all, they look like abstract art, nice "eyesight" diffusers as well as sound.

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

microstrip said:
Mike,

Two good reasons why you should go with the Vicoustic Multifuser 64:

1. Such a nice room deserves real wood - although they can "sound" good, IMHO plastics or paints are not a visual match for an wooden decor,
2. The Vicoustic Multifuser 64's are manufactured at a factory located less than 100 miles from me!

i prefer wood if it performs.....

i did look at the map on the Vicoustic website and expanded it out to see where it was there in Lisbon and i did think about you and how close you might be.

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

audioguy said:
Apparently not too special. My Skylines are about 12 years old, have been painted with your basic spray can paints I got at Home Depot (twice) and from typical wall paint that was professionally sprayed (also twice). They are as solid as the day I purchased them.

Mike: thanks for the additional photo - that helped. Are the half round thingies at the first reflection point?

no; those 'half-round-thingies' are designed to be beside (on either side) of the seating area and eliminate any flutter echo and standing waves, the first reflection points are just at the front edge of this assembly and forward of that point slightly. my room is quite wide, 21 feet, so the side-wall first reflection points are not as critical as in a narrower room. at the first reflection points there is a stepped wood frame which does what needs to be done. and.......the first reflection time lag is long enough for those first reflections that it is not much of an issue anyway.

Mike Lavigne · Oct 4, 2012

dallasjustice said:
Is it possible to move the diffusors to the wall behind the seated position? It looks like there is a door there but I can't really tell.

my room is 29 feet long. the speakers are 9-10 feet in, my listening seat is about 18-19 feet into the room so my ears are still 9-10 feet from that back wall where the door is. so any first reflection off that wall has already traveled 18 feet forward and 9-10 feet back to my ears. and that flat section is only 5 feet wide. the rest of the full width (since my room is oval shaped it's only 18 feet wide in the rear) is Lp shelves which are diffusive and either side of the door area and in the rear corners are built-in fabric covered bass traps. if i did put a diffuser in that 5 foot wide door area it does not need to be as agressive a diffuser as the Skylights considering the distance, and it would need to be attached to the door and also built around the Lutron lighting control panel and my HVAC control panel on the wall there. since i would need to deal with whatever is in that spot physically all the time entering and leaving the room, whatever is there would need to be quite sturdy and firmly attached. any lightweight plastic would not stand up very well i think. sometimes i have club meetings in my room with 25+ people with some leaning against the door and wall.

lots of issues to consider; which is why i've not yet done anything with it.

Vicoustic Multifuser 64 compared to the RPG Skylines, any opinions?

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