Room acoustics relates to how sound interacts with a physical space and is a critical aspect to achieving great sound quality from your music system. The way a room sounds and feels depends a lot on the room’s size, shape and the specific acoustic properties of the materials in the room. Every listening space has its own unique sound signature, something called an “acoustic profile.”
Sound waves in a room are either reflected or absorbed, depending on the structure and materials which they strike. The waves reflect off flat, smooth surfaces like walls, windows or glass tables. On the other hand, they are absorbed by soft, porous surfaces like fabric curtains, carpets, sofas or panels. Managing your room acoustics involves gaining an understanding of how the sound waves from your system are interacting with the room and then adding or taking away reflective or absorbent surfaces to achieve a natural sound.
The duration of reverberation is the main acoustic parameter of a closed space. It is quite easily measurable and it should fall within the range of 0.2 to 0.5 seconds. A space that is overly damped can feel oppressive and music can sound ‘lifeless’. Conversely, in a space with no damping at all, one can hear considerable echo. Playing music in spaces with not enough damping results in a loss of clarity, resolution and a confusing soundscape.
If you wish to optimise the performance of your sound system, it is vital that you consider the acoustic qualities of your listening space. Experienced audiophiles all agree that the very best speakers will not be able to achieve great results in spaces with poor acoustic conditions.
RD Acoustic have developed a unique hybrid acoustic diffuser which improves room acoustics. It dampens reflected acoustic waves in one plane and evenly diffuses them in the other. The front exposed side of the diffuser is made up of acoustic segments, which together create a deep diffusion pattern. The pattern is set in a real oak frame. On their front side, the segments are complemented by a thin layer of oak wood, treated and conserved with natural oil and wax.
The diffuser can be placed on the front wall of the listening room between the speakers, on the back wall behind the listening position or symmetrically on the side walls. The placement can be horizontal or vertical, depending on the unwanted resonance frequencies that you wish to suppress. Placing the hybrid diffuser horizontally (the acoustic segments are placed horizontally) dampens acoustic waves reflected from the ceiling and floor. With vertical placement (acoustic segments placed vertically), the diffuser primarily dampens waves reflected from walls.
After conducting significant research and development in this field, RD Acoustics incorporated a circular diffusion pattern and designed two versions of the hybrid diffuser. The ‘D’ version has a greater diffusion efficiency and is available in 3 dispersion patterns. The ‘A’ version has a greater absorption efficiency and is also available in 3 dispersion patterns.
The RD Acoustic Hybrid Diffuser range of panels are at the forefront of the acoustic treatment of listening spaces. Backed by scientific research and constructed with rare craftmanship, these panels are highly recommended to transform your listening space and to optimise the investment made in your music system.
Panels can be manufactured to custom dimensions and finishes.
Please contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
Audio and Acoustics
Your hearing does not perceive sound only in a direct line in the axis of the speaker, what we hear is also a lot of reflections from the walls of the listening space. Room acoustics has a fundamental influence on the perception of music. That is why quality audio and acoustics are inseparable and a diffuser plays a very important role in the relationship. Even relatively good acoustic conditions deserve to be improved by acoustic treatment. Sound reflections from large flat surfaces like walls worsen sound clarity and intelligibility. The diffuser evenly disperses unwanted sound reflections. Thanks to this, elocution becomes clearer, the recording gain more spatiality and clarity. Details previously hidden come forward.
Improve Acoustics in Modern Interiors
Modern living frequently omits dealing with acoustics, unfortunately so, as acoustics have a fundamental effect on our psychological well-being. Long duration of reverberation interferes with clarity and intelligibility of speech and worsens spatial localisation of our hearing. Living spaces usually lack in acoustically absorptive materials. With modern minimalist interiors without carpets, their absence is virtually woeful.
The duration of reverberation is the main acoustic parameter of closed space. It is quite easily measurable and it should fall within the range of 0.2 to 0.5 seconds. A space that is overly damped feels oppressive. Conversely, in a space with no damping at all, one can hear considerable echo, for example the unpleasant reverberation sound of a teaspoon clink. Reverberation time can be regulated by changing the amount of acoustically absorptive materials, such as thick curtains, carpets, fabric upholstered sofas, etc.
Hybrid Diffuser in a Room
Compared to other acoustic solutions, a hybrid diffuser diffuses sound waves in one plane and absorbs them in the other. The patterns are optimised in such a way that enough acoustic energy is always kept in the room. Also, the ratio of absorption to diffusion can be to some extent controlled using variations of the basic pattern. On top of that, the diffuser is adapted to natural properties of a room: it suppresses unwanted standing waves thanks to differences in the density of the pattern. A well chosen hybrid diffuser can therefore substitute for a combination of different acoustic solutions that one would otherwise have to combine.
Custom Diffusers for Demanding Audiophiles
The size and volume of the listening space is directly related to the optimal size of the diffuser. In larger spaces, an appropriately sized diffuser will contribute significantly to the improvement of acoustic conditions. Contact us and we will produce a custom-sized diffuser especially for your room! The diffuser can also be stained in any shade desired as long as it is darker than the default natural treatment shade. In lighter versions (for example white), the oak wood segments layer is replaced by a quality plastic layer (the frame stays oak wood).
Product Specifications
Type
Hybrid Diffuser Version A
Design
Circle pattern with greater absorption efficiency
Standard Panel Size
1m × 1m
Front Absorptive Area
1.161 m²
Front Reflective Area
1.42 m²
Height
103 cm
Width
104 cm
Depth
17 cm
Weight
15 kg
Other Sizes Available
2m × 1m, 3m × 2m, 2m x 2m
Custom Sizing
Available upon request
Choose options