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.
