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(I am on a tweaking frenzy now!)My Energy XL:16 speakers give more bass than I could wish for.
Bass sounds deep, heavy and induces much too much vibration. It feels like I forgot a sub behind the sofa.
They sit on top of home made stands : big 2x4 steel chanels with 1/8 plates welded at each end. The bottom plate reaches the ground through 3 studs. The speaker is stuck to the top plate with four little squares of thick, heavy duty electrical tape (the tape is applied to the stand, but it's so thick and gummy it sticks to the speaker).
I pulled the speakers as far from the walls as I could (20 inches) since the vents sit behind.
Next step : I planed on filling the posts with window sealant foam. The posts are thick and very rigid, but I thought it could not hurt to fill them.
Other thing I thought is that the soft rubber sticker might dampen the box a little to much. Would spikes help? I am afraid fo using them since the speakers being pulled so far from the wall are a little in the way (small appartment, the sticky tape did save the speakers a few times).
Follow Ups:
The size of your room was never mentioned. Most likely a combination of speaker positioning and listening position. Bass traps would definitely be the most effective after optimizing the placements.
The room is small, too small : 12 x 12.
...and square too. Not good, but if you can, you must try a diagonal setup in your room. Has worked well for others.
Try using Blu-Tack (that plasticky clay-like stuff used to hang posters) to couple the speakers to the stands.Given our previous discussion, I'll be if you tighten up the rack, the bass will calm down too.
The boom sounds like an echo - is your apt hardwood floor and sheetrock walls with no wall covering?
Far froma an echo : it's more of deep rumble!The floor is a wood-look-alike laminate that rests on a foam sheet.
The walls are made of wooden (1/8 press-wood) pannels : I can't find the proper word -- sorry, I'm franco-latin. Once painted, it looks like drywall, but is not. The surface is light and rigid (!) and hollow.Floor and walls : could not be worse. Not to be changed since I rent and that I am about to move...
I would not admit it at first : I feared the traps would be part of the solution and did not feel ready for such a construction.
Well, lets do some research!
Thank you once more!
D'accord. Je comprends.Have you tried low-frequency absorbing stuff, like a thick rug with pad underneath?
Maybe hang some thicker curtains too...?
Does this rumble happen regardless of the source you're using (e.g., radio, CD player, etc.)?
Yes, it happens whatever the source is.Of course, the beat would be to rip the wall and floor material off and replace them with the right stuff : it will not happen!
I do have a rug I could try.
I also have a thick high density foam pad (used in the construction of climbing crash pads). I will cut two pieces and just put them behind the speakers. If it helps -- I think it will --, I will build something out of it (freestanding bass trap panels of some sort).
Would you believe I already went through crash A/B tests?I did a quick spike mod to my stands (conical snowbaord binding washers) to remove the little damping effetc of the thick tape : less resonance.
I am happy with that.
I also tryed with the pads between the speakers and the stands : not much effect.
Then I tried the foam pads behind the speaker : to my surprise, I could no difference, except maybe that things where worse. I suspect that the pads must have worsten the wall effect since they were not thick and soft enough (as regular bass trap usually are).
The walls being what they are, I figure that if I go with thin panels (because of space limitation), it would be better that they reflect to get all that bass away from the wall rather than add to the nautral resonance of that same wall.
Conclusion : for now it will spikes under the speakers; second : I should move -- quick; latter, I might go with one nice and big JR bass trap cylinder.
Yeah, you'll want to couple the speakers to the stands, not isolate them. Try using a thin layer of rope calk or Blu-tack to do that.I'm surprised the foam on the walls didn't do much either. Have you ever seen egg-crate foam? It has all sorts of hills and valleys. Try using them on the side and opposite walls from the speakers too. I've used such foam panels to good effect to tame bass resonance and treble reflections too. Looks like merde, but can work well.
The bass traps work very well. In the interim, perhaps some long, cylindrical pillows might give you a taste?
I know the egg-crete foam and what I use is pretty much the same thing but flat.Maybe it did not work because it lacked a rigid backing (1/2 in. plywood) and a sturdy frame.
For now, I spiked the speakers and it works (a little better); I will try pillows (excellent idea)or anything that may baffle to see if it is worth it to spend time on flat panels.
"(I am on a tweaking frenzy now!)"Good, now tweak the room.
"Bass sounds deep, heavy and induces much too much vibration. It feels like I forgot a sub behind the sofa."
Sounds like you need bass traps my friend. Do a search here and you'll get plenty of info.
visit many websites with good options. I have a few GIK Acoustic Panels hanging on my walls, including a Monster Bass Trap behind my subwoofer and the improvement in my music is beyond my expectations. They are one of the most affordable Acoustic Panels in the market and they can even customize the sizes to fit your available spaces. Consider also small triangles to fill the corners, that will help as well. Best, Antonio Machado.
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