Have you ever noticed that when you move into a new house or apartment before the furniture arrives, sound is thin and tends to echo? That’s because your furnishings have a dramatic effect on the nature of sound. The same principle applies to home theater—a large part of what you hear depends on the room itself. While mastering room acoustics is a complicated science, there are simple things you can do to improve audio output.
First, consider the type of surfaces in your room. Are there a lot of hard, reflective materials, such as wood floors, mirrors, and windows? Or do you have a carpeted room filled with plush carpets, sofas, and heavy drapes? If you have too many hard surfaces, sound will bounce all around the room, wreaking havoc on audio playback. Fill the area with too many soft, absorbent materials and the room will be acoustically dead, sucking the liveliness out of music and soundtracks. To get the best audio, you need to strike a balance between these two types of materials.
Generally, the front of the room needs more absorptive materials—especially between the front speakers and the seating area where “first reflections” occur. If first reflections are not nipped in the bud by acoustic “damping” materials, they will continue to bounce around the room and cause distortion. Start by carpeting hardwood, tile, or concrete floors. Add some window treatments to dampen sound (and keep ambient light at bay). Opt for upholstered, rather than wood or leather, furniture as well.
The reverse is true for the rear of the room, where some acoustically “live” material is desirable to add life to the audio and help break up sound. That’s why many AV installers use acoustic diffusers at the back of the room. You can create your own diffusers by simply installing bookshelves and filling them with books of various shapes and sizes. Of course, if you hire an AV installer, he or she will fine-tune your room acoustics with a combination of acoustic treatments, such as diffusers, bass traps, and panels.
Home Theater Room with Padded Walls
