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REVIEW: DIY by Jon Risch Quick and Dirty Bass Traps Accessory

69.151.234.247


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Model: Quick and Dirty Bass Traps
Category: Accessory
Suggested Retail Price: $180 Aust for 2 traps
Description: DIY acoustic treatment
Manufacturer URL: DIY by Jon Risch

Review by rhyno on November 22, 2007 at 06:03:40
IP Address: 69.151.234.247
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for the Quick and Dirty Bass Traps


i normally submit my reviews to the e-mag i write for (dagogo.com), but as this is not really a commercial product, i thought to give it the attention it deserves in the forum it deserves.

first off, many thanks to david aiken who helped troubleshoot some construction items with me.

the tube traps are already succintly described by jon on his web site, and i'll direct you there for background info. but specific construction of ten tube traps for me required the following (along w/ sources & costs)

1) 10 rolls of R-13 faced insulation, 15" wide (home depot at $10 / bag. attempt to get bags w/ the fewest tears or splits)
2) three bags polyester batting: 1/2" thick, 81" * 81" (wal mart, $8 /bag)
3) one full roll of muslin cotton (walmart, $30. the most acoustically transparent cotton will be the one you can breathe through the easiest--buy that one).
4) one roll of 4" wide duct tape (wal mart, $5)
5) 3 rolls of transparent duct tape) (wal mart, $5 / ea)
6) one roll clear packaging tape (wal mart, $3)

quick construction notes: first, while outside, wipe down all the bags with a wet paper towel and then dry, to attempt to remove all stray fiberglass fibers (as you don't want to be breathing this crap). then, use the packaging tape to seal all punctures / tears / rips in the bag, so that its effectively no leaks. now, take the poly batting, stretch it out so that you can work with it easily, and cut it so that you have strips that are 15" wide (ie the width of the insulation roll) and will circle 1/2 of the circumference. double up so that the strips are 1" thick, and affix to the insulation bags with the clear duct tape (if you're clever when you cut the poly batting, you will have one continuous piece that you can 'double over' to get the required 1" thickness). now, cut the muslin cotton with dimensions where it will both cover the circumference while also having material to cover the tops & bottoms (think how you wrap an x-mas present). use the clear duct tape to affix one end of the cotton to the bag, wrap the cotton, then affix the free end of the cotton, and finally the tops & bottoms.

all said, figure its about 8hrs work to do 10 traps & install, for about $150.

(btw, spare poly batting & cotton make for terrific "spot treatements" to remove slap echo---clap your hands in your room loudly and listen for a ring. if you hear one, you have slap echo. simply cut strips of poly batting, double up so its 1" thick or thicker, and loosely affix to walls, and then loosely affix cotton over top as a cover. ---this is a terrific room treatment for no cost.)

now the big stuff: placement. as i am in a small room (15*11*8) that was previously *heavily* treated with acoustic panels (using 705 insulation---see my system pics on audiogon), i found placement absolutely critical re: the net result. IME, the best results are those that are commonly cited by commercial tube trap mfgs---place lots of traps in the front corners, and others at first reflection points. start with the side of the traps with the poly batting facing the room, and if the room sounds dead, rotate so that the poly faces away from the interior of the room.

so, what does it all sound like? kids, for $150 this is an absolute no-brainer. i would put the magnitude of change in my room on par with spending $3k upgrading electronics, which in retrospect seems a bit silly as i was always fighting the room (even though it was already treated!) to get the sound i wanted.

cleaning up the bass via the addition of Q&D tube traps has allowed the bass to go deeper, with greater articulation. but what i find most interesting in these tests is how the effect allows the room to 'breathe' and behave as a much larger room, with concomicant benefits. the way the room is loaded with waveforms during playback is more natural & balanced, letting the stage develop in a manner that i find absolutely beguiling. i've far greater width & depth than i had ever previously achieved; width is now a few feet outside the speakers (as recordings permit) and depth, a previous non-starter in my small room, is now clearly heard and experieneced. image specificity is terrific--when nasty reflections and unabsorbed bass energy are taken out of the equation, the direct sound from the playback can develop the stage unencumbered, and (if the recording allows) artists clearly occupy their own dimensional space.

additionally, the removal of the slap echo (thanks to the combined effect of the traps + the spare poly+cotton wall treatment) has brought forth myriad details buried deep in the mix of recordings that were too quiet to hear in an imbalanced room, but now are clearly audible.

(the list of materials i used is obviously subjective, and you can get far more lovely results without using clear duct tape. i find that the clear duct tape works great, and the end result is something that looks like it cost $20 at ikea--which means is has some domestic aesthetic value...its not a picasso, but i don't feel like its an eyesore either).

in sum, this project was a revelation, and i (and all DIYers) owe a measure of thanks to Jon Risch for his work here and in other areas in advancing the art / understanding for all of us.

i cannot imagine $150 can be better spent on your system's performance. this is the premier bang-for-the-buck tweak anyone can use, and i recommend anyone contemplating upgrading cables or electronics to address their room before even looking for new items to pursue.


Product Weakness: size.
Product Strengths: as discussed


Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: McIntosh 501s
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Einstein the Tube
Sources (CDP/Turntable): EMM CDSA
Speakers: Wilson WP6
Cables/Interconnects: DIY
Music Used (Genre/Selections): various
Room Size (LxWxH): 15 x 11 x 8
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Silver Circle PPone 3.0, dedicated lines, Oyaide R1 & Isoclean AC outlets
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: DIY by Jon Risch Quick and Dirty Bass Traps Accessory - rhyno 06:03:40 11/22/07 ( 7)