Auralex Room Analysis Plus Review
- Record a frequency sweep with an omni-directional microphone
- Send the .WAV file back to Auralex
- Obtain Frequency and Impulse Response data
- Pinpoint acoustical anomalies in your room
- Obtain accurate acoustical treatment suggestions
Pros
- Unparalleled access to exactly what is going on in your room
- Compared to an in-room consultation or just guessing, the price can't be beat
Cons
- Equipment costs may deter HT enthusiasts
- Single source/seat measurements limit usefulness of results
Auralex Room Analysis Plus Introduction
Acoustics. Next to your speakers, your room is probably the biggest contributor to the quality of the sound. We here at Audioholics care about acoustics as we understand that it is one of the major factors affecting your listening experience. Personally, I'd recommend spending $1000 on speakers and $1000 on room acoustics over spending $2000 on speakers and $0 on the room. You close your eyes and I'm betting that first room sounds better than the second 9 times out of 10.
Background
At the Audioholics State of the CE Union event, I had a chance to talk to Sean Bowman of Auralex. I've got enough experience in my room to know I have problems. Heck, my introduction into writing for Audioholics was a DIY absorber article. Years later and my room treatments haven't really changed and now I know that I've got some pretty bad bass suckouts. My solution? Some sort of diaphragmatic resonator or something. I asked Sean if they had DIY plans for such things. I figured I started with DIY, why not continue the trend?
Sean had another idea.
Auralex was starting up a new kind of service. At the time they called it an "off-site analysis." This was a way of getting real feedback on your room and suggestions on how to fix it without having to pay a consultant to come out with a bunch of equipment and the accompanying large bill.
Sounds good to me.
See also:
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Recent Forum Posts:
Anyone try this product yet? I might try the free version without the mic. The thought of having to record the sweep is daunting (I don't have any recording devices except an ancient circa 1985 Sony tape deck) so I anticipate it will be frustrating for me.
My issue is that I have an almost perfectly square room, concrete floors, and the ceiling is dropped down to about 7 ft across the front and along one side (a basement room with bulkheads for HVAC and plumbing) so I'm thinking the room will definitely need to be tamed.
Does anyone know if the microphone can be plugged into the ‘mic in’ on a laptop and use Sound Recorder or something like that to record the sweep?
Heck does Windows Vista even still have Sound Recorder? ….well if not, I'm sure there's freeware somewhere and Google might rescue me (again!)
Comments?
Frank
This is the standard advice you see in most posts asking for room treatment help. Every room will benefit from these basic treatments.
In fact, if you go onto forums for people setting up in home recording studios, the advice is much the same.
As intriguing an idea as this service is, if you are going to spend money, spend it on treatments.
If you are inclined to see what your rooms acoustic profile, download REW (freeware), pick up the mic etc. and measure AND graph to your hearts content. Spend some of that $250 on your significant other so she is more likely to tolerate your obsession.