And three ways to fix it if you do.
Photo by AJ Powell
Before buying any piece of audio equipment — and specifically loudspeakers — it’s important to remember the single most important component in your stereo: your room. Even the best system in the world can fail to deliver the sonic experience you were expecting if it is set up somewhere without proper acoustic treatments.
The reality is that every room has its issues. The good news is that there are reasonable solutions to make a new pair of loudspeakers sound even better than they did in the store.
Why do most rooms have bad acoustics?
Everything about your room matters: the shape, dimensions, surface materials and position of windows and doorways. Sound waves interact with it all, as well as objects, as they travel to your ears.
Modern homes often feature a lot of windows, and the reflective nature of glass can negatively affect spatial cues, making your system sound very bright.
Everything about your room matters: the shape, dimensions, surface materials and position of windows and doorways.
Room shape and dimensions, meanwhile, have a critical impact on the bass response. Bass waves require space to unfold. For this reason, a rectangular room is often better for acoustics than a perfectly square room.
Floor surfaces can have a significant impact on the sound, too. Stone, tile and marble without any type of area rug can make your system sound too bright. Hardwood floors absorb sound more effectively but they also require some form of area rug or carpeting to minimize reflections and low-frequency information. Heavily carpeted rooms will often sound acoustically dead in a room that also houses a lot of furniture. The trick is to find a balance.
Professional acoustic products, such as acoustic panels, work as intended but they generally look out of place in a home. Instead, look for other ways to minimize the reflection points.
Tip 1: Store something behind the speakers
The wall surface behind your loudspeakers should never be too hard (bare walls) or too absorptive. A wall unit filled with a mixture of books, picture frames, and even records will minimize reflections (depending on the type of loudspeaker) and absorb bass if you have to place your loudspeaker up against the wall.
In a scenario where your loudspeaker is close to the wall, bass will wrap around the rear of the cabinet, reflecting off the wall and arriving at your ears out of phase with the rest of the sound. Music will always sound like it’s coming from the wall devoid of any soundstage depth or width.
Tip 2: Hang art on the side walls
The first reflection points along the sidewalls can have an enormous impact on the imaging and overall clarity of the sound. It’s surreal how treating these two points can make everything sound more three-dimensional and focused.
Sit in your normal listening position and have a friend walk with a small mirror along the surface of the wall until you see the loudspeaker’s eflection. Mark this with a pencil on both walls.
In a professional setting, acoustic panels of varying thickness are used to absorb frequency information. In a domestic setting, consider using bookshelves, wall hangings or even artwork (without glass) at these points.
Tip 3: Use a rug
Furniture can be used effectively to minimize reflections and absorb excessive bass; a large sofa or wood coffee table can be very effective. Glass tables should be avoided as they will exacerbate the problems we are trying to fix.
Carpeting or area rugs can be a huge source of improvement because they will reduce room noise, impact reverberation, and absorb reflections. If possible, stick with natural fibers like wool which have better absorptive qualities.