My (SMT) room

Marcus

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Oct 5, 2012
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Well, it’s time to introduce a part of my path to better sound. I hope you find it interesting.

We used to live in a beautiful apartment in a late ninety century house that had more than 80 cm thick brick walls, 3.6m high ceilings, floating wooden floor and ceiling with ancient rock and dry grass insulation. Perhaps this sounds like inferior place for a high-end music system, but it was anything but that. The living/music room was 5.2 x 5.5 x 3.6m and it was very good. Acoustic treatment was not necessary but I did a few experiments with several bass traps and panels nonetheless. In the end I removed them all… This room had no excessive bass peaks or deeps, it was reasonably balanced and I was very happy. As my family expanded so did the need for a bigger apartment and we ended up in a modern penthouse apartment (made from concrete and steel) with huge windows and amazing vistas and lots of sunlight. BUT, the sound of the system in a new living room (7.3 x 3.6 x 2.7m) was bad, really bad.

A help from the acoustics expert was therefore necessary but I was not prepared to convert this beautiful room to the studio just yet. Rives Audio seemed like a reasonable and cost effective firm to “solve the problem”, so we agreed on a level 1+ consultation that involved window treatments (Hunter Douglas honey comb cellular shades - Duete) two bass traps (Real Traps Corner Mondo traps), ceiling and first reflection treatments (RPG Bad Panels) and a huge custom reflector oval wall made from wood. Results were unfortunately...hm, let's be polite - unsatisfactory. With all of these treatments the room became “dead” and dull, soundstage was small, closed in, dynamics was compressed and problems with bass nodes remained. No wonder I was desperate and very unhappy.

While I was searching for alternative acoustics specialist for second opinion and a possible solution, I came across a company called SMT (Svanå Miljöteknik AB) from Sweden. Matts Odemalm told me that I’m the fourth or even the fifth person that asked him for help after Rives “did their job” and that he successfully helped all of them. I think there was even a thread about that on WBF but I’m not sure. Anyway, I was glad and encouraged by stellar references, their “diffusion philosophy” and great looks I decided to go with SMT.

The project lasted 8 months to complete but it’s worth every penny. The Rives designed big reflector oval wall was replaced by a new false wall, made from three V4 Varitune bass traps, three V-wings diffusers, three Flower wings and two TP600 pillars, on first reflection points are two mobile transparent Wings and ceiling is covered with 21 AD20 diffusers. The sound of SMT treated room is amazing compared to the Rives. Open and airy. Big, deep, wide and defined soundstage with great focus and lots of details. Problems with compressed dynamics vanished and bass problems were drastically reduced although did not disappear completely…Yet! I’m waiting for fine tuning instructions from Matts and that’s about it.
 

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Mctwins

Member
Feb 1, 2013
38
6
8
Hallo!

Great looking room.

I understand how you feel and how a treatment that doesn't work, like porus absorber, bass trapps and so on...makes you feel unhappy. Did lots of DIY bass trapps, panel absorber, membrane absorber, but it was very hard to treat a room and gave very poor result. As you say, dead sound.

Not that I have any experiance with your above mention companies, like Rives audio and so forth, just have good experiance with SMT products and it works very well for me.

Here is a link of rooms with SMT stuff and some measurements where my twinbrother(Bobecca) and I did the treatment by ourselfs. And it works:)

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-traps-acoustic-panels-foam-etc/651132-my-room.html

Happy listening!
 

Krelle

Well-Known Member
Aug 5, 2013
167
13
323
Stockholm Sweden
Hello Marcus and congratulation with a very nice looking room, very nice integration. I have also a SMT treated room and Im so glad to see that Matts room treatment is spreading around the world! Enjoy the music, best regards from Krelle.
 
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MasterChief

Well-Known Member
Jun 26, 2012
253
58
935
Sweden
Great room!

I see Avalon, Karan, CJ, Zanden, Kuzma and what I think is Accuphase? But what cables do you have?

Hälsningar från Stockholm
 

Marcus

Member Sponsor
Oct 5, 2012
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552
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Great room!

I see Avalon, Karan, CJ, Zanden, Kuzma and what I think is Accuphase? But what cables do you have?

Hälsningar från Stockholm

No Accuphase my friend, it's Magnum Dynalab MD 108T (modified) tuner. Cables are Cardas Clear (interconnects) and Clear Beyond speaker cables. Transparent Audio Power Link MM2 mains cables with Furutech FI-50 Power Connectors...
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Hallo!

Great looking room.

I understand how you feel and how a treatment that doesn't work, like porus absorber, bass trapps and so on...makes you feel unhappy. Did lots of DIY bass trapps, panel absorber, membrane absorber, but it was very hard to treat a room and gave very poor result. As you say, dead sound.

Not that I have any experiance with your above mention companies, like Rives audio and so forth, just have good experiance with SMT products and it works very well for me.

Here is a link of rooms with SMT stuff and some measurements where my twinbrother(Bobecca) and I did the treatment by ourselfs. And it works:)

http://www.gearslutz.com/board/bass-traps-acoustic-panels-foam-etc/651132-my-room.html

Happy listening!

Great link, thx for sharing!
 

MasterChief

Well-Known Member
Jun 26, 2012
253
58
935
Sweden
No Accuphase my friend, it's Magnum Dynalab MD 108T (modified) tuner. Cables are Cardas Clear (interconnects) and Clear Beyond speaker cables. Transparent Audio Power Link MM2 mains cables with Furutech FI-50 Power Connectors...

Ahh, ok! Amazing setup and the sound must be world class!
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
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Portugal
Marcus,

Congratulations on your beautiful system and room.

It was nice to read the post about your system and room. If I replace in your first sentences part of it by "The living/music room was 6.4 x 5.5 x 3.6m and it was very good" your story can become mine. I used to live about twenty years ago in such an old house and everything sounded really excellent. When I moved to a modern apartment it was a disaster - it obliged me to change the whole system.

Can I ask you about the approximate cost of your SMT acoustical treatment?
 

Sound Affair

Well-Known Member
Sep 10, 2012
45
1
81
Lovely system Marcus, i notice you have a 4 point mounted on your Kuzma XL4 i expect you have also audition the airline also, what makes the 4 point a better arm than the airline in your opinion?
 

Marcus

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Oct 5, 2012
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Yes I have auditioned Air Line many times, but I'll answer your question in the appropriate (Kuzma 4Point) thread.
 

Marcus

Member Sponsor
Oct 5, 2012
559
552
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Seeing the photo of flyer's SMT room in another thread, I would like to share with you two pro photos of my room that better show the beauty and high WAF of SMT treatments.

c2IXvaquo3JnyCPsB1dl5_TIkHIN1pc2n8NJBBw274Q,hZ5iC4TkMXgri5D8lSM5TC4HVOcng7BV3cb0vNH95Lo.jpg

ELQ0wzEl9FFefWcZQHmSkU8avum2K4XQ1EhxYeZkMR8,S7X_vVePJY5au7M12PVuVrtcLPlPpNWZPznF5B_lrv8.jpg
 

Elberoth

Member Sponsor
Dec 15, 2012
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Poland
Now it looks trully spectacular ! Wow.
 

bonzo75

Member Sponsor
Feb 26, 2014
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London
Hi Marcus, is that glass on the right? Does it not cause any sound reflection problems?
 

marslo

VIP/Donor
May 2, 2014
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Poland
Beautiful design and installation , simplicity and class, congratulations.
 

Marcus

Member Sponsor
Oct 5, 2012
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1,155
Hi Marcus, is that glass on the right? Does it not cause any sound reflection problems?
Yes, that are custom made, triple glazed Internorm windows and on the second photo, above them in the slot you can see stacked Hunter Douglass honey comb (Duete) cellular shades. I made lots of experiments with them - all three lowered fully, then 50%, 30%, 20% and combinations between that and frankly, I don't use them often because the sound then becomes more or less dark and closed in. On the other hand, transparent Wings (left and right from speakers) work just fine and there are no problems whatsoever with reflections.
 

Bobvin

VIP/Donor
Jun 7, 2014
1,659
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Portland
www.purewatersystems.com
Very nice integration of your treatments. So often I see rooms where there is so much treatment a room becomes something only an audiophile could enjoy. You've managed something many of us only fantasize about, doing our listening in the same space we "live" in and having it sound good too.

Even with a remodel and acoustic design underway, I will still retreat to a separate room for listening. There are pros and cons—but first world problems for sure!
 

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