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Concrete walls [message #79857] Sat, 26 April 2014 11:04 Go to next message
Rockstar is currently offline  Rockstar
Messages: 121
Registered: November 2010
Location: NY
Master
We want to set up a home theater in our basement. We have finished it off but we still have concrete walls. Will this make a difference with the sound quality? Should we do something with the walls?

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Re: Concrete walls [message #79970 is a reply to message #79857] Fri, 16 May 2014 17:21 Go to previous messageGo to next message
LoveJB is currently offline  LoveJB
Messages: 174
Registered: October 2011
Location: Cali
Master
I would imagine that the concrete walls will produce a different sound. I don't know what you would do, besides insulate them and throw up some drywall. You might just have to give it a shot and see how it sounds.
Re: Concrete walls [message #79972 is a reply to message #79970] Sat, 17 May 2014 00:41 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18669
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Concrete walls make room modes much more pronounced than rooms with less rigid walls. You'll want to add some damping, like panel absorbers, for best results.

Re: Concrete walls [message #80044 is a reply to message #79857] Fri, 06 June 2014 05:17 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Round2 is currently offline  Round2
Messages: 108
Registered: September 2013
Location: Canada
Viscount
Concrete walls are not good for the overall sound in the room. I would put up sheets of drywall to help with the acoustics in the room and not to mention giving the room a finished look.
Re: Concrete walls [message #81949 is a reply to message #79857] Thu, 04 February 2016 02:32 Go to previous messageGo to next message
MusicWife
Messages: 9
Registered: February 2016
Esquire
Oh, interesting. We're having a new house built, and are having a room in the basement turned into a media room. The builder has given us about a million options as far as finishing it, for sound quality goes. Of course, they all come with a price, and some are quite hefty. Are there any things we absolutely MUST have? I think some of the stuff must just be builder padding. I'm sure they'll put it in, but probably aren't really necessary. Any recommendations, or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Re: Concrete walls [message #81985 is a reply to message #81949] Mon, 08 February 2016 13:48 Go to previous message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
Messages: 18669
Registered: January 2001
Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Most builders don't know anything abpout sound. It's just not what they do.

My suggestion is to read and understand room acoustics and then direct your builder with choices that make sense for you.

Usually, framed drywall construction is somewhat damped already, just by the nature of the materials and construction. But if you have concrete walls, then you'll need to apply damping of some sort, otherwise the whole room echoes like a shower stall. The best would be constrained layer, false walls or some other sort of panel absorbers for low frequencies combined with acoustic wedges for medium and high-frequency damping. Drapes can be used to cover the wedges for a more residential aesthetic, and they provide some HF damping of their own.

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