Added blackout drapes--> sound becomes muffled

[davef]

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

Is the grille cloth directly against the walls? If possible, please post a few pics...

[LexLynx]

Sorry for the delay. The drapes are all against the walls/ceiling. Here are a few pics I took two nights ago: http://imgur.com/a/jdhYY

[davef]

Sorry for the delay. The drapes are all against the walls/ceiling. Here are a few pics I took two nights ago: http://imgur.com/a/jdhYY

The room definitely looks heavily damped. For black out purposes, perhaps try painting the walls black or use a black wall paper?

[LexLynx]

The room definitely looks heavily damped. For black out purposes, perhaps try painting the walls black or use a black wall paper?

I was considering it, but the apartment in a rental and the ceiling is popcorn, so it would be hard to reverse for when I leave.

Is there a way to counteract or cancel out damping?

[davef]

I was considering it, but the apartment in a rental and the ceiling is popcorn, so it would be hard to reverse for when I leave.

Is there a way to counteract or cancel out damping?

You can compensate to some degree using advanced room equalization.

[LexLynx]

You can compensate to some degree using advanced room equalization.

Such as Audyssey?

[sludgeogre]

Such as Audyssey?

Yes, but it isn't really that advanced and won't do a whole lot of correction. Dirac is much more capable and you can set your own target curves with Dirac Full so that you can tailor the sound to what you really want instead of whatever the Audyssey baseline is. There is also ARC from Anthem, which is generally more expensive, and then Trinnov, which is out of this world, total insanity, are you serious right now kind of money.

[N Boros]

Yes, but it isn't really that advanced and won't do a whole lot of correction. Dirac is much more capable and you can set your own target curves with Dirac Full so that you can tailor the sound to what you really want instead of whatever the Audyssey baseline is. There is also ARC from Anthem, which is generally more expensive, and then Trinnov, which is out of this world, total insanity, are you serious right now kind of money.

Audyssey with the new models (coming this fall I think) will offer the ability to change the target curve as you like. I think you need to use an app from them, which you can purchase for $20 to do so, but this is great news.

[sludgeogre]

Audyssey with the new models (coming this fall I think) will offer the ability to change the target curve as you like. I think you need to use an app from them, which you can purchase for $20 to do so, but this is great news.

That really is great news. I always use Audyssey to set my distance and levels, but I never engage the sound mode, I always just listen in direct, even in a big open room with no treatments I still prefer the way it sounds. Audyssey just sounds too rolled off. I think it does a really fantastic job at phase alignment, though, and that's 90% of what you need anyway.