Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

dsyzling

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Aug 14, 2019
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Some pics of Marc's acoustic treatment, he's having a few communication issues uploading them.

Marc1.jpeg

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spiritofmusic

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Appreciated Darren. My communication issues stretch much further than just this Lol.
 
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Lagonda

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spiritofmusic

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I only wish they were more exciting.
 

spiritofmusic

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Reducing noise and hash now seems to be a final frontier area for me to finalise changes to my system. These PETs have become a critical, and hugely affordable part of all that.
I had also been looking at an updated GIKs package incl Gotham Quadratic Diffusers and Versifusors at 3x the cost, and an Acustica Applicata DaaDs package at 10x (!) the cost.
Covid economics are so easy to understand Lol.
 

spiritofmusic

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Darkroom CDs...
Some Of These Numbers Mean Something,
Gravity's Dirty Work,
The DAC Mixes,
Seethrough,
Fallout 1, 2, 3.
 
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spiritofmusic

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Justin, a lot of interesting music is not available streamed.
Anyhow, I find prog electronica a really good test for system/room changes...function of deep bass challenges, and fact that so many motifs and recurrent themes can be smeared or buried, only to be released/revealed by optimising mains/noise and acoustics/reflections/nodes/hash.
Listened to a few more CDs today, and there's a greater liveliness to my sound, stronger imaging, greater coherence is the abiding impression.
Total triumph for the moderate financial outlay.
 
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spiritofmusic

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Oh, and the plus from matching color scheme is not to be underestimated Lol.
 

spiritofmusic

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Fascinating to pick up on the marked improvement in imaging and bass articulation as a result of these acoustic treatments. So much fun to hear into mixes, get better separation, revealing of hidden motifs, and more effusive and musical basslines.
I've always struggled a bit w Kate Bush "This Woman's Work" rarities CDs, seemingly plagued w 80s style panned and harsh mastering.
Ok, not transformed into ECM-style audiophile fare (and neither should it, w all those gated snares and Fairlight synths), but suddenly the production choices are making way more sense and way more intelligible.
Really intrigued that room treatments can be so dramatic and so positive.
 

Blue58

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Jan 20, 2013
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Interesting use of the panels, unlike the recommended 90 dg layout you have them at about 30. You could also have some fun on the front wall with the stepped block panels or some sculpted hexagonal units.

https://www.kireiusa.com/inspiration/
 
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pjwd

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Interesting use of the panels, unlike the recommended 90 dg layout you have them at about 30. You could also have some fun on the front wall with the stepped block panels or some sculpted hexagonal units.

https://www.kireiusa.com/inspiration/
Blue .. it is amazing how much of this is now available in various commercial systems (usually at a premium price)... in the beggining they just stuck them on the walls where they have only a minor effect but used as a baffle system they are super effective as they reduce the sideways reflections off walls and ceilings.
The "eco" approach of removing the dreaded acoustic tile ceiling in commercial spaces and exposing concrete soffits and hence echo chambers had to be adressed
In Marcs case the angle ( actually 45 degrees when a simple fixing method is sorted ) is based on the minimum number of panels to partly absorb then reflect both first and second wall reflections away from listening spot . 90 degrees did not work as well. Very nice to hear the practice follows the theory.. but you cant discount constructers bias
Phil
 

spiritofmusic

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Barry and Phil...I have them atm more like 30°...the great thing about my tentative setup is I can turn them easily to 45° in less than 5 mins.
Will try that soon.
You've gotta love an upgrade that enhances imaging, low level detail, rhythmic motifs and flourishes, air...while no compromise to PRaT, flow, texture, tonal density or timbral accuracy.
These latter attributes have been nailed down by my previous attention to power and signal ie balanced transformer and dedicated lines/duplexes, and Sablon & Tubulus cables loom.
The underlying structure of music now being dealt with by eliminating spurious acoustic hash/reflections/nodes, first by the invaluable bonus of the room itself being a brilliant blank canvas, upon which major advances like blocking my communicating hatch and these PETs treatments have built upon.
And all enhancing my underlying SETs/Zu signature, not neutering it.
 

spiritofmusic

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A few days in with the new PETs install on front and side walls to augment those on my eaves.
I was a total room acoustics naysayer back in the day. My system sounded just fine to my ears in my old apartment despite comments from visitors that there was a hardness in mids and lack of imaging and bass extension in retrospectively I now know to have been a concrete, hardwood and glass 29x27x13 acoustical torture chamber. Not altered in any meaningful way by a full suite of GIK absorbers and corner bass traps.
Cue the move to the chapel, and truly miraculous change to this room 5 years ago. And what was seemingly like a situation I couldn't improve on. Yes, again I thought I was done Lol. Enquiries on audiophile grade acoustic treatments provoked quotes for large numbers of specialist panels and even larger sums of cash.
Introduction of the GIKs here on the insistence of Blue58 brought about useful uptick in terms of coherence to sound.
Subsequent filling of my communicating floor hatch to block connection to our 20,000 cub feet/1200 cub m main space below was shockingly positive in outcome, shoring up centre fill, smoothing bass response. Everything bigger, more resolute, more controlled.
And now my two phases of PETs install, phase one being on my 30° descending eaves, phase two being on front and side walls, has provided benefits way beyond expectations.
I'm getting imaging that I really didn't believe the Zus were capable of, and a way more linear bass, more articulation and extension. I'm hearing into mixes, but full taking in of music on a holistic level, the sense of flow and ease is in a whole new place.
Phase three soon to happen, I've just ordered 1.2 cubic meter of sheeps wool to make up my 2 no. custom PETs-faced 1200x600x600 corner bass traps.
On the evidence that treatments have already wrought on the bass in this room, I have zero doubt these will be dramatic.
The journey into room acoustics is a true conversion experience for me, from pretty much total skepticism to wide-eyed enthusiasm.
It's by far been the most instrumental reason along w sorting my TT motor speed issues, for a total transformation in my fortunes in getting the most from classical and jazz albums.
To borrow a phrase from PeterA, room acoustics improvements have been instrumental in getting my little bit of Natural Sound heaven.
 
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Direct Drive

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Sep 16, 2020
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Sounds (pun intended) good Marc. I have some bits arriving in a week or so too, so we can compare notes over that pint!
 

spiritofmusic

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If we're taking audio, I'll stretch to more than one beer!
 

spiritofmusic

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Fascinatingly, simple replacement of wall panels has led to a different balance of bass in my room, my intended bespoke bass traps have the potential to be very pivotal.
 

Lagonda

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Fascinatingly, simple replacement of wall panels has led to a different balance of bass in my room, my intended bespoke bass traps have the potential to be very pivotal.
Yes, if you take out a lot of high frequency energy from the room , the bass will be more dominating. Don't forget that you have dialed in your subs for a different room response. You should measure your room before building bass absorbers, i am sure Bill could lend you proper equipment. :)
 

spiritofmusic

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Higher frequencies seem fine. I actually think I've moved more to diffusion with somewhat less absorption. Somewhat less bass attenuation.
Milan, Bill serves up the beer when I visit him...he's already doing more than enough, I can't ask for more!
 

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