Comments on: Why You Must Acoustically Treat Your Hi-Fi Room http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/13/audiophile/why-you-must-acoustically-treat-your-hi-fi-room/ Home Theater, Anime, Geek Gadgets for the whole family Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:05:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Richard Hunter http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/13/audiophile/why-you-must-acoustically-treat-your-hi-fi-room/#comment-12703 Richard Hunter Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:58:18 +0000 http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/13/audiophile/why-you-must-acoustically-treat-your-hi-fi-room/#comment-12703 While I am all for treating your room if you are an audiophile or an audio engineer (such as myself), the fact that the Decemberists Picaresque sounds so mushy in an untreated room is due to poor mixing and mastering technique. The audio engineers were able to get the recordings to sound good in their respective (and most likely, highly treated) rooms, but the mixes do not translate well to home systems. While I like the record, the mixing is not on par with Phil Spector's work. A great Wall of Sound recording that translates very well is the Ronettes' "Be My Baby." I wonder how that would have sounded in an untreated environment. While I am all for treating your room if you are an audiophile or an audio engineer (such as myself), the fact that the Decemberists Picaresque sounds so mushy in an untreated room is due to poor mixing and mastering technique. The audio engineers were able to get the recordings to sound good in their respective (and most likely, highly treated) rooms, but the mixes do not translate well to home systems.

While I like the record, the mixing is not on par with Phil Spector’s work. A great Wall of Sound recording that translates very well is the Ronettes’ “Be My Baby.” I wonder how that would have sounded in an untreated environment.

]]> By: How To Build Jon Risch’s DIY Acoustic Panels » Home Theater, Anime, Geek Gadgets for the whole family http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/13/audiophile/why-you-must-acoustically-treat-your-hi-fi-room/#comment-1710 How To Build Jon Risch’s DIY Acoustic Panels » Home Theater, Anime, Geek Gadgets for the whole family Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:00:08 +0000 http://geekwithfamily.com/2006/09/13/audiophile/why-you-must-acoustically-treat-your-hi-fi-room/#comment-1710 [...] Jon Risch’s DIY acoustic panels have changed my system more than any other tweak and component upgrade. After placing the panels at my listening room’s early and diffraction reflection points (two behind the speakers and four on the sidewalls (the two panels closest to me actually sit in easy chairs because I can’t move the chairs out of the way)) I heard these improvements. Since that initial listening session I’ve had mixed results from CDs played in my Pioneer DV-47ai and Taddeo Digital Antidote II: certain frequencies and instruments are too laid back. I’ll remove the Taddeo and see if I get the same great performance as from my Airtunes playing MAX ripped Apple Lossless tracks. [...] [...] Jon Risch’s DIY acoustic panels have changed my system more than any other tweak and component upgrade. After placing the panels at my listening room’s early and diffraction reflection points (two behind the speakers and four on the sidewalls (the two panels closest to me actually sit in easy chairs because I can’t move the chairs out of the way)) I heard these improvements. Since that initial listening session I’ve had mixed results from CDs played in my Pioneer DV-47ai and Taddeo Digital Antidote II: certain frequencies and instruments are too laid back. I’ll remove the Taddeo and see if I get the same great performance as from my Airtunes playing MAX ripped Apple Lossless tracks. [...]

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