Corner Bass Traps - Always beneficial?

[Kal Rubinson]

You reviewed the ASC Sub Trap for Stereophile in 2004. The larger ASC traps are measured by the manufacturer to be pretty effective under 100 Hz. In my room I also need something active around 120 Hz or so.

You are right but I didn't think of that because it is a very specialized product and does not directly compete with the Spring traps or the Tube/Tower Traps. As for your particular needs, the Spring Trap is not a broad-band trap and, while it will work above 100Hz, its efficiency falls off in that range. Take a look at the specs.

 

[rbbert]

...Take a look at the specs.

Thanks. Believe me, I've looked at specs a lot. While some attenuation in several frequency ranges is desirable for my room (both above and below 100 Hz; 60-70 and 110-130 are my main peaks), lessening the bass decay time / reverberation is perhaps even more desirable. As I posted, I may end up getting Spring Traps as well.

 

[Rutgar]

I just got 4 of the MSR spring traps in my room today. I replaced the 4 primacoustics corner traps on the frontwall with the MSR spring traps. What Kal is saying is very important. Most basstraps tend to be more broad range control. The springtraps are only effective in the bass. The result was even tighter more articulate bass than before with the primacoustics and the added benefit of much more lively and natural sounding mid-range. I am too tired to post XTZ room analyzer measurements now. I can post them later. I got lucky on Audiogon and got them pretty cheap from a great guy that packed them well onto a pallet. Also, another member of this thread, Bill, was over tonite. Maybe Bill could chime in on what improvements he heard as well. Thumbs up for MSR!

Good Morning Michael. Thanks for an evening of listening to some great sounding music! (the food was great too!)

In light of waiting on what the measurements show, I do believe the MSR's displayed a different performance from the primacoustics. From what I was hearing, both traps seem to work well in the bass region. But the mid and upper frequencies appeared less dampened with MSR traps (which I believe they are designed to do). At one point, during a bass-heavy song, I reached behind one of the MSR's grill cover, and could easily feel the panel vibrating sympathetically with the bass. So no doubt the panels were reacting to the low frequencies. Overall, I think the addition of the MSR's were a step in the right direction. Now, I will have to see how the RealTraps perform in my room once I receive them. Of course one thing I'm looking for at this point, is better bass control between 100 and 200hz. Which, I believe the RealTraps will address.

 

[Ethan Winer]

Is cork good? Is it used in some rooms, in studios? And what type of cork, and how thick, and what they all do at certain audio frequencies?

Cork is sort of absorbent, but it's not highly absorbent and it costs a lot more than other materials that are highly absorbent. Cork is also not very uniform versus frequency, which is equally important. I found this in an audio forum, but it's not validated:

Absorption coefficients of 25 mm cork on solid wall:

Freq: 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000
Coeff: 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.55 0.6 0.55

So I wouldn't use cork for acoustic treatment.

--Ethan

 

[NorthStar]

Cork is sort of absorbent, but it's not highly absorbent and it costs a lot more than other materials that are highly absorbent. Cork is also not very uniform versus frequency, which is equally important. I found this in an audio forum, but it's not validated:

Absorption coefficients of 25 mm cork on solid wall:

Freq: 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000
Coeff: 0.05 0.1 0.2 0.55 0.6 0.55

So I wouldn't use cork for acoustic treatment.

--Ethan

-----Thanx a bunch Ethan; I always have great admiration and respect for your expertise.

 

[Rutgar]

Bored, so I thought I would post a pic. Besides, I figured I'm not the only around here that would actually find a picture of acoustic treatments interesting! Below is a picture of 3 RealTraps FAT Mondo Traps in place, along with my bank of RPG Diffractals. I am still waiting on the regular Mondo Traps, in which one would go on top of the FAT Mondo in the corner.

 

[AudioExplorations]

Looking good. Did you take before and after measurements? Am curious how effective the 3 MONDO traps are in such positioning.

 

[Rutgar]

Looking good. Did you take before and after measurements? Am curious how effective the 3 MONDO traps are in such positioning.

No, not yet. I have an amp on the fritz, and it is out for repair. Also on another note, measuring the effect of only 4 of the 8 traps I ordered didn't really seem like a fair test.

 

[edorr]

OK, I started this thread with a simple question. Thanks everyone for weighing in. The upshot is I ended up installing floor to ceiling DIY traps. Just finished putting the fabric panels in front yesterday - see pictures. If I recall my measurements correctly the impact is lifting a 12db null up to 6db, greatly alleviating the burden on my digital room correction system to smooth out my response curve.

 

[rockitman]

Nice job...you did the right thing ! They look very good too.

 

[edorr]

Nice job...you did the right thing ! They look very good too.

As you can see, I got my hands on the same fabric used for my panels (which I bought ready made). I have never upholstered anything and was not sure I could get such a large a surface done with no wrinkles, but a $20 staple gun at home depot was all it took.

 

[rockitman]

How do things sound now ? I am assuming better ?

 

[edorr]

How do things sound now ? I am assuming better ?

No traps, 12 db null

View attachment 6122

With trap, 4 db null. I did lift the peak from 4 to 7db, but that is addressable with Room Correction.

View attachment 6123

 

[NorthStar]

---Looks excellent in your room's decor, and they perform too!

 

[JonFo]

OK, I started this thread with a simple question. Thanks everyone for weighing in. The upshot is I ended up installing floor to ceiling DIY traps. Just finished putting the fabric panels in front yesterday - see pictures. If I recall my measurements correctly the impact is lifting a 12db null up to 6db, greatly alleviating the burden on my digital room correction system to smooth out my response curve.

Excellent, good job!

 

[stevekale]

Hey edorr, how's it going? Any pic of the other end of your room?

 

[The Bogg]

No traps, 12 db null

View attachment 6122

With trap, 4 db null. I did lift the peak from 4 to 7db, but that is addressable with Room Correction.

View attachment 6123

Congrats, nice improvement. I presume it wasn't b/c you connected the second woofer/speaker that the graph improved? (not being facetious!). Any reason you did the measurements with just 1 woofer per side? Great looking speakers, remind me of giant telephone handsets from the 80s.

I spent some time on the phone with Curt from Trinnov dialling in my ST2 via VNC, and if you haven't done that I'd suggest it to you. He really knows his way around the unit and his tweaking really improved the audio experience in my listening room.

 

[edorr]

Congrats, nice improvement. I presume it wasn't b/c you connected the second woofer/speaker that the graph improved? (not being facetious!). Any reason you did the measurements with just 1 woofer per side? Great looking speakers, remind me of giant telephone handsets from the 80s.

I spent some time on the phone with Curt from Trinnov dialling in my ST2 via VNC, and if you haven't done that I'd suggest it to you. He really knows his way around the unit and his tweaking really improved the audio experience in my listening room.

I spend a lot of time on the phone with Curt. I did all my measurements (before and after traps) with just one woofer active. The reason is one of the woofers was defective at the time.

 

[The Bogg]

I spend a lot of time on the phone with Curt. I did all my measurements (before and after traps) with just one woofer active. The reason is one of the woofers was defective at the time.

Ah, I see. I would imagine that the measured response would be very different with both woofers active, please post some measurements once the woofer has been sorted out.

 

[NorthStar]

Congrats, nice improvement. I presume it wasn't b/c you connected the second woofer/speaker that the graph improved? (not being facetious!). Any reason you did the measurements with just 1 woofer per side? Great looking speakers, remind me of giant telephone handsets from the 80s.

I spent some time on the phone with Curt from Trinnov dialling in my ST2 via VNC, and if you haven't done that I'd suggest it to you. He really knows his way around the unit and his tweaking really improved the audio experience in my listening room.

-----Which TRINNOV unit (component) do you have?