The Wench wants to put some built in cupboards into the lounge, which is also where the hifi is. I’m assuming that putting massive hinged wooden panels in is going to play merry hell from an acoustic perspective, but she’s amenable to making the doors into essentially giant acoustic panels. That would however mean that the left hand side of the room is heavily weighted as far as acoustic treatment goes, and it won’t be possible to put the same amount in on the right hand side due to pesky things like windows.
Is there likely to be a meaningful option that can be deployed here or is it basically a hiding to nothing to try and get it reasonable from an acoustic perspective.
It’s all up for grabs in many ways, as the whole room needs redoing. The actual walls are likely to remain solid concrete, and the floor some level of wood board, with rugs, a large sofa and an arm chair or two. Certainly scope for treatment on other walls and also the ceiling if it comes to that.
The Wench is pretty accommodating when it comes to the hifi at least.
Covering cupboards is pretty straightforward, as you’ve already stated the other wall will create issues. Could your accommodating partner accommodate not having cupboards?
I would start by making sure that the cupboards are heavy, solid ish wood, and the doors aren’t entirely flat. Having them deeper at the bottom than the top will also break things up.
yes, speakers in front of windows, may need to rehang the door, cupboards behind sofa with diffraction behind listening seat(s), and possibly on the two sidewalls at first reflection (try to leverage accommodation of cupboards )
the cupboards also get you closer to having a square room, which is sub-optimal
try to snaffle the corners as cavities filled with Rockwool for some LF absorption
RPG Flutterfree T panels on the side walls, and either BAD Arc panels (for mixed absorption/diffraction) or Flutterfree T behind the listening area - really depends on distance from listening position to cupboards, if close go for flutterfree t, if further go for the bad arc
Thankfully it’s not quite as square as that room was. The windows also give some extra variation to the shape of the room as they’re about a foot back from the main wall.