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I caught the upgrade bug this year and decided to go from 5.1 to 7.1 to 9.1 to 11.1 :gulp: and buy or build some larger subs. I sold my 7.1 pre/pro and one sub and bought some extra surround speakers. Long story short, I am now wired and "speakered" for up to 11.1, but have not yet purchased a new receiver or subs. I am stalled partially due to funding but also due to the realization that I need to improve my room acoustics first, or I may just be wasting money on equipment upgrades. I think now is the best time to do it, but I want to throw a few ideas out there and get some feedback before I start. For reference, there are some fairly recent photos of my room here (latest photos toward the bottom). The panels on the side walls are 2 inch thick OC 703 and they are flush mounted. The placement is based partially on aesthetics, and partially on the first reflection points of an earlier seating arrangement. To give you an idea of my starting point, I have included some REW measurements below.
Based on listening/measuring, my target areas are (in this order):
1st - 30-60Hz
2nd - 100-200Hz
3rd - 200-1kHz (if it is still an issue after treating 1 & 2)
So here are some ideas I'm kicking around...
1. Double the 2" panels on the side walls (2 panels each in a 4" deep wood frame) and mount them with a 2"-4" air gap to the wall (meaning the frame is open front and back).
2. Add diffusers between existing panels on side walls. My initial thought would be the 2'x2' DIY wooden QRD "skyline" diffuser panels - 4 total.
3a. Triangular bass traps in the rear corners (can't do front corner placement due to existing doors). I'm thinking DIY, either mineral wool or pink fluffy, probably about 4' tall with a 24" wide face.
3b. OR move the side wall panels closest to the back wall into the back corners and make them thicker (i.e. like step 1 - 4" or 6" thickness) for bass trapping.
4. Add damping to the 1st ceiling reflection, probably 2 or 3 panels, 2" or 4" thick, something similar to what I end up with on the side walls.
5. Damping/Diffusion behind front speakers? This is a maybe since I plan to cover the entire front wall/doors with heavy curtains, mostly for aesthetics/light reflection.
Ideally I would have the budget and time to do all of these, and maybe someday I'll get there. I guess what I'm looking for in terms of feedback is - if I could pick two, maybe 3 to do first, which will give me the best bang for my buck? I'm thinking 3a, 1, and 2 in that order to start. I assume triangular corner traps are my best bet for the 30-60Hz range. Will they be effective in the back corners if my subs are at the front of the room? Will option 1 improve my 200-2kHz response, or will the difference be negligible?
Measurement Graphs
The graphs represent response from several different system configurations (including several different subs in different locations, several different receivers/processors, and a few different main listening positions). These measurements were all taken without EQ or room correction applied. The side wall panels were installed before all of these measurements.
Full Range Frequency Response

Bass Only Frequency Response
The waterfalls correspond to four of the FR curves on the graphs above
Waterfall 1
Waterfall 2
Waterfall 3
Waterfall 4
Full Range Frequency Response
Bass Only Frequency Response
The waterfalls correspond to four of the FR curves on the graphs above
Waterfall 1
Waterfall 2
Waterfall 3
Waterfall 4
Based on listening/measuring, my target areas are (in this order):
1st - 30-60Hz
2nd - 100-200Hz
3rd - 200-1kHz (if it is still an issue after treating 1 & 2)
So here are some ideas I'm kicking around...
1. Double the 2" panels on the side walls (2 panels each in a 4" deep wood frame) and mount them with a 2"-4" air gap to the wall (meaning the frame is open front and back).
2. Add diffusers between existing panels on side walls. My initial thought would be the 2'x2' DIY wooden QRD "skyline" diffuser panels - 4 total.
3a. Triangular bass traps in the rear corners (can't do front corner placement due to existing doors). I'm thinking DIY, either mineral wool or pink fluffy, probably about 4' tall with a 24" wide face.
3b. OR move the side wall panels closest to the back wall into the back corners and make them thicker (i.e. like step 1 - 4" or 6" thickness) for bass trapping.
4. Add damping to the 1st ceiling reflection, probably 2 or 3 panels, 2" or 4" thick, something similar to what I end up with on the side walls.
5. Damping/Diffusion behind front speakers? This is a maybe since I plan to cover the entire front wall/doors with heavy curtains, mostly for aesthetics/light reflection.
Ideally I would have the budget and time to do all of these, and maybe someday I'll get there. I guess what I'm looking for in terms of feedback is - if I could pick two, maybe 3 to do first, which will give me the best bang for my buck? I'm thinking 3a, 1, and 2 in that order to start. I assume triangular corner traps are my best bet for the 30-60Hz range. Will they be effective in the back corners if my subs are at the front of the room? Will option 1 improve my 200-2kHz response, or will the difference be negligible?