Acoustical wall panels - any Pics or advise ?

[Rob Hyland]

Looking to build out our entertainment wall. Its been suggested to use some kind of acoustical panel or diffuser as the Ethos will be closer to the entertainment center build out than they should be. Hoping by adding acoustical dampening in a curved somewhat U shaped design that I can accomplish maintaining the best sound possible while achieving the look the wife is looking for. The Ethos will still be out about 20 inches from the back wall, just looking to add some good design fashion while keeping great sound. Thanks for any advice or pictures showing what you have done!

 

[JonFo]

Glad to see you looking to also combine some design elements into the treatments, as the ESL are stylish, so having them be highlighted by the space behind is a great thing to shoot for.

One idea I've shared before is to consider using the wire-frame and stretch knit fabric used for trade show booths and stand-alones to cover up either commercial treatments, or cheaper, stacks of wrapped acoustic treatment shaped to both fit, and meet acoustical goals.
While you can purchase those with any image printed on the fabric, a plain white will do, as one of the options is to put a Hue Light Strip, offset 6" or more from the fabric to light up the fabric and really frame your speakers.

If you want a U shape cuddling the speakers, then simply cut the U into a stack of Rockwool® Mineral Wool 60 Acoustic Insulation 48"x24"x4" sheets (get the 4" thick ones) and stack them high enough to read a few inches above the height of the panel.
Warp them in some light breathable fabric to keep the dust and particles contained.
Play with the light strips to see if one is enough in the shallow middle or two on either side do better.
Then use the wire-frame with fabric to hide all that.

I assume the U is because they go between the wall and some cabinet housing the TV and gear, right?

For inspiration, and some practical tips on DIY acoustical treatments, please read through my thread on my sidewall Room treatments – part 2

 

[Rob Hyland]

Glad to see you looking to also combine some design elements into the treatments, as the ESL are stylish, so having them be highlighted by the space behind is a great thing to shoot for.

One idea I've shared before is to consider using the wire-frame and stretch knit fabric used for trade show booths and stand-alones to cover up either commercial treatments, or cheaper, stacks of wrapped acoustic treatment shaped to both fit, and meet acoustical goals.
While you can purchase those with any image printed on the fabric, a plain white will do, as one of the options is to put a Hue Light Strip, offset 6" or more from the fabric to light up the fabric and really frame your speakers.

If you want a U shape cuddling the speakers, then simply cut the U into a stack of Rockwool® Mineral Wool 60 Acoustic Insulation 48"x24"x4" sheets (get the 4" thick ones) and stack them high enough to read a few inches above the height of the panel.
Warp them in some light breathable fabric to keep the dust and particles contained.
Play with the light strips to see if one is enough in the shallow middle or two on either side do better.
Then use the wire-frame with fabric to hide all that.

I assume the U is because they go between the wall and some cabinet housing the TV and gear, right?

For inspiration, and some practical tips on DIY acoustical treatments, please read through my thread on my sidewall Room treatments – part 2

Thanks for all the detailed info and link to your Project room - Awesome project! Yes the U shape curve from a build out Tv/Entertainment center between the front speakers and to help isolate from bouncing off the windows and long hallway on the other side. Will do some more research on utilizing wire frame and curving the insulation!

 

[GaryG]

Glad to see you looking to also combine some design elements into the treatments, as the ESL are stylish, so having them be highlighted by the space behind is a great thing to shoot for.

One idea I've shared before is to consider using the wire-frame and stretch knit fabric used for trade show booths and stand-alones to cover up either commercial treatments, or cheaper, stacks of wrapped acoustic treatment shaped to both fit, and meet acoustical goals.
While you can purchase those with any image printed on the fabric, a plain white will do, as one of the options is to put a Hue Light Strip, offset 6" or more from the fabric to light up the fabric and really frame your speakers.

If you want a U shape cuddling the speakers, then simply cut the U into a stack of Rockwool® Mineral Wool 60 Acoustic Insulation 48"x24"x4" sheets (get the 4" thick ones) and stack them high enough to read a few inches above the height of the panel.
Warp them in some light breathable fabric to keep the dust and particles contained.
Play with the light strips to see if one is enough in the shallow middle or two on either side do better.
Then use the wire-frame with fabric to hide all that.

I assume the U is because they go between the wall and some cabinet housing the TV and gear, right?

For inspiration, and some practical tips on DIY acoustical treatments, please read through my thread on my sidewall Room treatments – part 2

 

[GaryG]

The two pictures are acoustic panels in my Martin Logan Dolby Atmos theater. The panels are from GIk they are custom one picture was taken from the 30th floor of the Cosmopolitan Hotel in Las Vegas. The other is a sunset picture of the hills behind my Vegas home. My side rears are CLX’s and they are 15” off the wall with similar panels behind them. The key to the successful sound is the sound correction in my Trinnov Altitude32 with calibration done by master calibrator Curt Hoyt. I have however recently contacted Elite AV to install Monuments to replace the CLX’s. Which will make the room more to my wife’s liking. Crossed fingers that the changes don’t take me out of audio nirvana. Best advice I can give you is to listen to JonFo. Jonathan is a true expert.

 

[Robert D]

Wow, that is stunning! What exactly is that you have there? It seems to be back lit, and you can change the scene?

 

[GaryG]

Wow, that is stunning! What exactly is that you have there? It seems to be back lit, and you can change the scene?

I had never thought about the pictures looking like they were backlit. I assure you they are not. Each of those pictures is an acoustic panel plugged into a window and custom fit to block all light and give me total darkness. As such the pictures are fixed and cannot be changed but it certainly would be cool if the images could be easily changed to fit the mood. The images were taken with a Canon digital camera and sent to GIK with our desired dimensions. I was very pleased with the results.

 

[msimanyi]

@GaryG I will be extremely interested to hear your assessment of the changes you hear when you go with the Monument system, especially for music rather than home theater.

 

[Robert D]

I had never thought about the pictures looking like they were backlit. I assure you they are not. Each of those pictures is an acoustic panel plugged into a window and custom fit to block all light and give me total darkness. As such the pictures are fixed and cannot be changed but it certainly would be cool if the images could be easily changed to fit the mood. The images were taken with a Canon digital camera and sent to GIK with our desired dimensions. I was very pleased with the results.

Ok,. thanks for telling me. Ive never seen that before. Looks nice, and a good way to get a dark room above ground. So I guess you have 2 sets of windows, hence the 2 scenes.

 

[Lite]

Looking to build out our entertainment wall. Its been suggested to use some kind of acoustical panel or diffuser as the Ethos will be closer to the entertainment center build out than they should be. Hoping by adding acoustical dampening in a curved somewhat U shaped design that I can accomplish maintaining the best sound possible while achieving the look the wife is looking for. The Ethos will still be out about 20 inches from the back wall, just looking to add some good design fashion while keeping great sound. Thanks for any advice or pictures showing what you have done!

There are a number of designer material style hexagonal sound treatment panels you can get. They come in various sizes, colors, and some even have designs that make them look like marble etc.

There also companies who will sell you acoustical panels that have paintings on them, such as movie posters, or even custom made ones.

 

[Peter Ward]

Perhaps I can add a couple of thoughts here. I bought some GIK freestanding panels a few months ago. I'm pleased I bought freestanding ones because I've been able to try them in a multitude of different positions, including behind the speakers to attenuate reflections from the front wall. They're also good because they extend to the height of the treble panels. I've settled on them (for now!) on the wall sides of my speakers, positioned almost touching the speakers, to reduce first reflections. This gives me both a better image and a better tonality. Although subtle in their effects, overall I would say I'm happy with them, but I wonder whether I could have got greater benefit from spending the money elsewhere, such as on a Funk Houdini.

 

[Rob Hyland]

Perhaps I can add a couple of thoughts here. I bought some GIK freestanding panels a few months ago. I'm pleased I bought freestanding ones because I've been able to try them in a multitude of different positions, including behind the speakers to attenuate reflections from the front wall. They're also good because they extend to the height of the treble panels. I've settled on them (for now!) on the wall sides of my speakers, positioned almost touching the speakers, to reduce first reflections. This gives me both a better image and a better tonality. Although subtle in their effects, overall I would say I'm happy with them, but I wonder whether I could have got greater benefit from spending the money elsewhere, such as on a Funk Houdini.

 

[Rob Hyland]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for chiming in, have been looking at the GIK panels as they have some very cool designs and color options. I havnt looked to see how GIK compares to other panels from a functional standpoint, did you look at other options ? Does the GIK do as well from acoustical perspective ? We are getting close to starting the project so any insight is extremely helpful!

 

[Jeff Zaret]

I too have GIK panels. They were great to work with when I had questions. I guess it depends on what you need for your room. I have had mine for over 10 years and except for the occasional dusting they just work. I actually covered two of them with my own my material I purchased. It has to be a lightweight cotton and I guess I did an OK job.

 

[Peter Ward]

Hey Peter,

Thanks for chiming in, have been looking at the GIK panels as they have some very cool designs and color options. I havnt looked to see how GIK compares to other panels from a functional standpoint, did you look at other options ? Does the GIK do as well from acoustical perspective ? We are getting close to starting the project so any insight is extremely helpful!

hi Rob,
I didn't compare them. I met the GIK team at a show and felt they knew what they were talking about, then I got a 10% voucher. I didn't want to spend too much in case they didn't make much of a difference so ended up with just the 2 portable panels. I'm pleased I have them - the sound is definitely clearer and more controlled.

 

[hillbilly]

I've had GIK panels for about 5 years and they make a positive addition in my system and room.
The large black panel helps quite a bit to absorb excess bass.
The long panels are the perfect height for the Summit Xs.
The best part is that they are visually appealing.