Added blackout drapes--> sound becomes muffled

[LexLynx]

I have recently added some extra black curtains in my home theater/studio apartment to cover more of my walls for when I watch movies. Unfortunately, even after adding just a little bit more to what I already had, my speakers sound like they've got a giant sock over them. They are Sierra 2's, but now it's hard to distinguish them from my previous 340 SE's. My room is a cube and it's always had major bass issues, but it seems introducing extra fabric in certain areas of the room drastically affects the high end as well.

I would appreciate it if someone could recommend a type of treatment I could use to counteract this effect...other than getting rid of the drapes and painting my apartment dark grey (don't think I haven't considered it)

[davef]

I have recently added some extra black curtains in my home theater/studio apartment to cover more of my walls for when I watch movies. Unfortunately, even after adding just a little bit more to what I already had, my speakers sound like they've got a giant sock over them. They are Sierra 2's, but now it's hard to distinguish them from my previous 340 SE's. My room is a cube and it's always had major bass issues, but it seems introducing extra fabric in certain areas of the room drastically affects the high end as well.

I would appreciate it if someone could recommend a type of treatment I could use to counteract this effect...other than getting rid of the drapes and painting my apartment dark grey (don't think I haven't considered it)

Hi Lex,

If you are using room-EQ like Audyssey or similar, after hanging the fabric, the acoustics in your room will dramatically change and as such, you must re-run room eq.

If you have already done this and your room is still too damped, if your goal is to blacken the room -- black grille cloth works well and has little affect on acoustics.

[Johnny_Mac_III]

I have recently added some extra black curtains in my home theater/studio apartment to cover more of my walls for when I watch movies. Unfortunately, even after adding just a little bit more to what I already had, my speakers sound like they've got a giant sock over them. They are Sierra 2's, but now it's hard to distinguish them from my previous 340 SE's. My room is a cube and it's always had major bass issues, but it seems introducing extra fabric in certain areas of the room drastically affects the high end as well.

I would appreciate it if someone could recommend a type of treatment I could use to counteract this effect...other than getting rid of the drapes and painting my apartment dark grey (don't think I haven't considered it)

Like Dave said, if you are running a room correction make sure you are recalibrate your speakers.

Also, where is your seating position? What are your room dimensions and how far are your speakers away from the front and side walls?

[mikesiskav]

Also, if you're trying to fix bass issues, curtains aren't going to help. They'll help reduce reflections at high frequencies but they aren't nearly thick enough to do anything with bass. You should check out some bass traps from companies like GIK Acoustics.

[Jaybeez]

Unfortunately, cube dimensions are among the worst sonically. Bass traps and broadband panels are what is needed, vs. heavy curtains.
There is only so much you'll be able to do with a cube set up though.

[LexLynx]

The curtains were not to address bass issues, they're for eliminating reflected light. I've made several 24" bass tube traps and placed them everywhere in my room, but to no effect. I've since gotten rid of them. Are broadband panels effective on really low frequencies?

[mikesiskav]

In that case, try to get a hold of some acoustically transparent fabric like Dave recommended.

For bass traps, broadband traps don't absorb low frequency energy as well as range limited bass traps.

[LexLynx]

I originally used velvet, but I switched to speaker grill cloth, and the general effect is still there, just not as severe.

[mikesiskav]

I originally used velvet, but I switched to speaker grill cloth, and the general effect is still there, just not as severe.

So all you did was add a few more drapes made out of speaker grill cloth, and it dramatically changed your sound for the worse? That is strange.

[curtis]

So all you did was add a few more drapes made out of speaker grill cloth, and it dramatically changed your sound for the worse? That is strange.

Yeah...if that's the case, then I'm thinking something else happened at the same time.