High-Mounted or Ceiling-Mounted Bass Traps: Is Asymmetrical Okay?

ddk

Well-Known Member
May 18, 2013
6,261
4,040
995
Utah
Bonnie tentatively is recommending that the 4’ deep, straight soffit and the shallower angled soffit be filled with blue jeans insulation and be covered only by fabric. She seems to think the assumetry is okay, and that whatever low frequencies these soffit sections absorb at the 9’ to 14.5’ elevation of the room is all to the good.

Sounds like a good idea just tell your contractor to put the provision in for closing it up later if desired. Should be simple enough to try with it open and covered and see what happens.

david
 

Mark Seaton

WBF Technical Expert (Speaker & Acoustics)
May 21, 2010
381
141
390
47
Chicago, IL
www.seatonsound.net
Bonnie tentatively is recommending that the 4’ deep, straight soffit and the shallower angled soffit be filled with blue jeans insulation and be covered only by fabric. She seems to think the assumetry is okay, and that whatever low frequencies these soffit sections absorb at the 9’ to 14.5’ elevation of the room is all to the good.

I might consider blocking off the downward/bottom portion of the soffit and only leave the vertical area open, or alternately, and probably preferably, using a perforated panel of some variation, similar to the "scatter plates" GIK uses that are visually very obvious. Many are using similar devices now, and you can choose to either expose the hard scattering surface or even cover it with fabric depending on the look/feel you are after.

Of course the patterns have an impact on acoustic behavior in 3 ways:
  1. The largest span and area of hard surface vs open area, along with the pattern determine the reflective/diffusion characteristics.
  2. The overall open area vs any trapped volume behind the panel (soffit internal volume in this case), which determines the low pass effect and any enhancement of the LF absorption.
  3. The thickness of the material is considered in combination with the open area (#2) and the rear volume to determine how the openings change the effect vs frequency.

You might want to ask Bonnie if she has a pattern/material she might prefer for this use.
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,347
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Thank you very much Mark! I contacted the contractor and told him not to cover up with drywall the down-facing soffit.
 

About us

  • What’s Best Forum is THE forum for high end audio, product reviews, advice and sharing experiences on the best of everything else. This is THE place where audiophiles and audio companies discuss vintage, contemporary and new audio products, music servers, music streamers, computer audio, digital-to-analog converters, turntables, phono stages, cartridges, reel-to-reel tape machines, speakers, headphones and tube and solid-state amplification. Founded in 2010 What’s Best Forum invites intelligent and courteous people of all interests and backgrounds to describe and discuss the best of everything. From beginners to life-long hobbyists to industry professionals, we enjoy learning about new things and meeting new people, and participating in spirited debates.

Quick Navigation

User Menu

Steve Williams
Site Founder | Site Owner | Administrator
Ron Resnick
Site Co-Owner | Administrator
Julian (The Fixer)
Website Build | Marketing Managersing