DIY~Acoustics - Your Home Theater Guide

The following information is intended to be a very general discussion on acoustic theory and it's application to the Home Theater/Media Room environment. We do not consider ourselves Audio experts. However, having spent over nine years in the Home Theater Industry, we have absorbed much of the information that is discussed below and appreciate the opportunity to share it with you.

Absorption/Diffusion

The primary acoustic goal of the Artesian Panels™ is for enhanced sound control in the Home Theater or Media Room. This can be accomplished through the use of three types of acoustic panels; absorptive, reflective and, diffusive.

The absorptive panels will be used most often in the Home Theater. In an untreated room sound reaches the listener at different time intervals. By using absorptive panels, we eliminate the sound waves from “bouncing” off the untreated wall surfaces. This reflected sound results in “muddy” dialogue and an echo effect in the Home Theater. Therefore, the absorptive panels will enhance the overall clarity of the sound energy of the room which is most notable in the dialogue.

In Home Theaters where there is a potential for too much sound absorption, which could result in a "dead" space, we recommend the use of our Diffusive panels.

Diffusion is an excellent compliment to sound absorption because it doesn’t diminish the energy of the room and can control the reflection of the sound. The diffusive panels help keep the Home Theater sounding alive.

Distribution

In order to achieve a tangible level of sound enhancement in the Home Theater, we recommend that at least 35% of the rear and side wall space be covered in Artesian Panels™.

Generally speaking, the more of the surface area of the Home Theater that is covered by absorptive or diffusive panels the better. However, there should be some exposed hard surfaces, such as painted drywall to help keep the Home Theater sounding “alive”. Once again, too much absorption will create an undesirable “dead” room.

Fortunately, because the Artesian Panels™ are designed to "float" on a hard surface rather than encompass the entire surface, there should be little worry about too much absorption in your Home Theater.

Placement

There are many theories about panel placement in the Home Theater and much depends on the specific features of each interior wall as well as the type of speakers you are using. For our purposes we will discuss panel placement in very general terms.

Front Wall: We recommend panels on the front wall bracketing the screen or TV. These front panels will absorb the excessive sound waves that might bounce off the rear wall.

Side Walls: At the first reflection point on the side walls, you always want absorption. One way to determine this point is to place a mirror on the side wall in between your front seat and the front speaker. The reflection point will be at the exact spot where you can see the front speaker in the mirror from your seat.

As for the rest of the side walls, you may use absorption or diffusion which would be based upon how much of the overall wall surface is being covered and what kind of speakers you are using.

Rear Walls: Many people recommend Diffusion for the rear wall. This keeps the room sounding "alive" and vibrant. Once again this would depend on what other attributes the room contains such as exposed windows or hard doors.

Ceilings: It is not necessary to place panels on the ceiling if you have a carpeted room because the sound energy emitted from the center channel tends to not bounce from the floor to the ceiling and back to the floor.

Size Matters:

We currently offer 1" and 2" thick panels. The 2" panels do a better job of absorbing the sound waves in the Home Theater, especially the lower frequencies (bass). That's not to say that the 1" panels are ineffective, just that 2" is better than 1".

The disadvantages of the 2" panels are that they are slightly more expensive and may also be a little more intrusive on the eye.

Fabrics:

Our prints are available on two distinct fabrics:

ProImage Fabric - This is basically our standard fabric. The fabric has a denser weave which allows for a more accurate and vibrant print.

ProSound Fabric - This fabric is less dense (more acoustically transparent). Most often used when placing speakers behind one of our panels. When this occurs we cut a hole in the acoustic panel and place a black scrim over the panel. We then place the ProSound fabric over the black scrim. The black scrim eliminates the color discrepancy between the yellow acoustic panel and the darkness created by the cut-out for the speaker.