After cleaning the room up and moving all of the furniture and speakers back into position, including putting the subs and main front speakers on the SubDude platforms, it was time for the moment of truth. Would the hours of planning and installation pay off? Just how much of a difference would it make? Would my wife notice the difference?

For the record, the answer to the question was yes, she did. She even commented that dialogue seemed to be easier to understand in movies. Soon after I had completed the install, I was walking around the house talking on my phone. As I walked from the great room into the theater room, I completely lost my train of thought, and had to ask the person on the phone to hold on a minute. Prior to the treatment, the theater room sounded just like the great room (loud, with quite a bit of ambient noise). It was now very quiet. The previously "live" sonic quality of the room was now very subdued, and felt very controlled. And this was just the sound of my own voice talking on the phone. I spent many years in the music business in Nashville earlier in my career, and I suddenly felt like I was back in a recording studio. You walk into the studio and it is so QUIET. After installing the SonoSuede panels, I suddenly had created a room with acoustics more similar to that of a control room in a studio than a living room! Improving the acoustics of the room actually makes carrying on a conversation more pleasant - things just aren't as noisy in there.

I quickly began listening to CDs and DVDs that I was familiar with, and was thrilled with the results. The bass response was much better - much more controlled and tighter than before the treatment. Ultimately, I still have bass issues in this room. I continue to experiment with location of my subwoofers, as well as trying it with or without the SubDude platforms. But without question, my bass is in much better shape.

The overall sonic quality of any material I played was improved. The room does not have the reverberation that I had struggled with before, and the soundstage feels much smoother. The couch in the room is sort of a giant "half stop sign" design. Typically, the center of the couch was the ideal sweet spot for both music and film. After the treatment, the entire couch seems to benefit, having improved staging from the "end" seats.

Conclusion

Initially, I was bummed to be taking down all of my memorabilia from the walls of the room. But an unexpected result of the project is a very cool aesthetic. People seem to really like the way the room looks dressed out in the suede panels. I was also concerned that having diffusors hanging from the ceiling might not look good. But they really turned out great, seemingly "floating" above the room. So far, I've received nothing but compliments, even from a few of my wife's more decorator-savvy friends.

The Auralex treatments have absolutely improved my room. And the products are high-quality, attractive, and easy to install. If you have invested time and energy into your home theater and it's components but still feel like you are not getting the results you desire, it is time for you to consider improving your room. Auralex offers affordable solutions that you would be wise to consider.

For more information:

Auralex Acoustics, Inc.
6853 Hillsdale Court
Indianapolis, IN 46250
1-800-959-3343
www.auralex.com