Gear & technology
Room treatment
Also called acoustic treatment, acoustic panels, bass traps
Room treatment is anything added to a listening room to control reflections and resonances: absorbing panels, bass traps in the corners and diffusers on the back wall. In a speaker system the room changes the sound more than most equipment does.
Sound from a speaker reaches the ear directly and then again from the walls, floor and ceiling. Strong early reflections can blur Imaging, though some listeners prefer the spaciousness that side-wall reflections add; the room’s standing waves add peaks and dips to the Bass that no speaker can correct on its own. Absorption at the first reflection points and bass traps where the walls meet are the usual first steps.
Treatment does not apply to headphones, which is one reason headphone listening appeals to people without a dedicated room. Digital room correction, built into some receivers and streamers, addresses the bass problem electronically and works best alongside physical treatment rather than instead of it.
Where you’ll see this on tonistry.
- Browse every product in the Room Treatments category.