Auralex

I have the wedge and pyramid foam in my HT. I have both 2x4, and 2x2 sizes. They are very light and can be held in place with a push pin. At first I went crazy in the HT and had the reflection points, corners, back wall, and ceiling covered. However, that was a bit to much dampening so I gradually removed some, until I felt I had just enough reflected sound to sound good.

In the two channel system I have a single 2x2 wedge foam behind each speaker at tweeter level. This bought the brightness down just a notch to be more pleasant and not fatiguing.
 
(new guy here)

In my listening room, I use The Foam Factory 2" pyramid acoustic foam (numerous 12x12 squares) and several corner bass traps. It's basically a knock-off of the Auralex stuff, though less expensive, and I think it performs about the same. The data sheets are on The Foam Factory website and the specs. look similar to the Auralex specs. Since they're local, I just drove over and loaded up my car.

I put it up in the room without any consultation as to how much and where I should put it - I just went by what "seemed right" at the time (ignorance on my part aided by enthusiasm). Well, it's a bit over-treated and kind of dead. My goal was to try to hear less of the room and more of the speaker (accomplished) but I probably need less absorption and more diffusion. However, I put the squares up with 1" squares of 3M adhesive foam pad (VERY STICKY) and removing a square results in the skin layer of plaster being removed, too. Sooo, up they have stayed, four or five year now.

I can post a pic.
 
(new guy here)

In my listening room, I use The Foam Factory 2" pyramid acoustic foam (numerous 12x12 squares) and several corner bass traps. It's basically a knock-off of the Auralex stuff, though less expensive, and I think it performs about the same. The data sheets are on The Foam Factory website and the specs. look similar to the Auralex specs. Since they're local, I just drove over and loaded up my car.

I put it up in the room without any consultation as to how much and where I should put it - I just went by what "seemed right" at the time (ignorance on my part aided by enthusiasm). Well, it's a bit over-treated and kind of dead. My goal was to try to hear less of the room and more of the speaker (accomplished) but I probably need less absorption and more diffusion. However, I put the squares up with 1" squares of 3M adhesive foam pad (VERY STICKY) and removing a square results in the skin layer of plaster being removed, too. Sooo, up they have stayed, four or five year now.

I can post a pic.

Welcome Don!
 
Hi Mike...great site...just joined. Yes, I use 2. I have created an 'isolation sandwich# for each component in my system (isolation under and damper on top): Zanden 4-box digital, CJ GAT, Gryphon Colosseum, TA Ref Power conditioner/Nordost QX4. These are primarily a combination of: Underneath - HRS M3, nimbus/couplers or Stillpoints Ultra 5s...Damper on Top: HRS damping plates, Artesania or Stillpoints Ultra 5. They each work beautifully (imho). As for Auralex, I use one underneath my Velodyne DD18 with 3 Ultra 5s on top and 30kg (76lbs) of brass weight on top. BIG difference/improvement. I used to have the sub on 8 volume...as soon the Auralex went in, the volume had to go to 34 to get same volume...but everything got tighter without floor/vibration and rumble. The Stillpoints Ultra 5s on top with bgrass weight only made it that much better. But the Auralex is a big part of that equation. I then decided to replace it with a bigger Auralex when they came out with it...and put this first Auralex under my Gryphon amp. Soundstage deepend and detail improved...treble hardened a bit which was irritating...then put Artesania damper on top with weight (20kg)...and all the tonal sweetness came back, but retaining the better soundstage and detail from the Auralex. My two cents. Are you thinking of getting them? For 60 bucks on a system as great as yours...worth a try! (BTW, if I hit return to create a new parapgrah...it does not respond...so everything is in 1 paragraph).
 
Hi Mike...great site...just joined. Yes, I use 2. I have created an 'isolation sandwich# for each component in my system (isolation under and damper on top): Zanden 4-box digital, CJ GAT, Gryphon Colosseum, TA Ref Power conditioner/Nordost QX4. These are primarily a combination of: Underneath - HRS M3, nimbus/couplers or Stillpoints Ultra 5s...Damper on Top: HRS damping plates, Artesania or Stillpoints Ultra 5. They each work beautifully (imho). As for Auralex, I use one underneath my Velodyne DD18 with 3 Ultra 5s on top and 30kg (76lbs) of brass weight on top. BIG difference/improvement. I used to have the sub on 8 volume...as soon the Auralex went in, the volume had to go to 34 to get same volume...but everything got tighter without floor/vibration and rumble. The Stillpoints Ultra 5s on top with bgrass weight only made it that much better. But the Auralex is a big part of that equation. I then decided to replace it with a bigger Auralex when they came out with it...and put this first Auralex under my Gryphon amp. Soundstage deepend and detail improved...treble hardened a bit which was irritating...then put Artesania damper on top with weight (20kg)...and all the tonal sweetness came back, but retaining the better soundstage and detail from the Auralex. My two cents. Are you thinking of getting them? For 60 bucks on a system as great as yours...worth a try! (BTW, if I hit return to create a new parapgrah...it does not respond...so everything is in 1 paragraph).

Welcome! Glad you joined. Your information on the Auralex is very helpful. Some of the folks in our local audiophile club are very knowledgable when it comes to acoustic treatments and advised me that diffusion is much more important than absorption - generally speaking. Is this your finding as well?
 
Welcome! Glad you joined. Your information on the Auralex is very helpful. Some of the folks in our local audiophile club are very knowledgable when it comes to acoustic treatments and advised me that diffusion is much more important than absorption - generally speaking. Is this your finding as well?

I have heard this as well but I have not experimented. When we get a dedicated listening room/family room (instead of living room), then I will start to look at 'engineering the room'. But it makes sense to me...while absorption is just simply reducing excess in theory, in practice I could intuitively see it doing some harm while doing some good...and thus a 'health warning' is probably due. But again, I have not yet started down this path until we get a dedicated room where I have more liberties to play around with room diffusors on the walls, etc. If you go for this, do let us know. Would love to learn. Good luck.
 
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