The owner of this system has many years of high-quality audio experience under his belt. He has owned some very famous and well-respected equipment from several highly-regarded British manufacturers, along with cables and accessories to match.
But as the system was increasing in quality the room it was sitting in was starting to hold back the performance.
The existing system
The following components were already in place:
– Gold Note XT-7 Loudspeakers
– Gold Note DS-10 DAC/Pre/Streamer
– Gold Note PA-10 Power Amp (x2)
The owner felt that even though the components were excellent, the sound was becoming cluttered and lacked the clarity and openness he knew they were capable of.
The challenge
The room had many large hard surfaces and reflective windows, creating an environment where high frequencies were becoming dominant and hard to manage. This resulted in an soundstage that felt cluttered and lacked focus, making it fatiguing to listen to for long periods of time.
The goal was to provide a listening experience that was open, clear and naturally balanced.
Our approach
We took a comprehensive approach to address the room’s acoustic issues without compromising the aesthetic of the space.
By analyzing the room and how it interacted with the speakers, we were able to identify the key areas that required treatment.
Acoustic treatment used
The following acoustic treatments were carefully selected:
– Acustica Applicata DaaD 2, DaaD 3 and DaaD 4 acoustic traps for corner and sidewall reflections.
– Acustica Applicata Volcano diffuser to help break up reflections from the wall behind the speakers.
– Stillpoints Aperture 2 panels were used on the wall behind the listening position.
By introducing these treatments, we were able to significantly reduce the harmful reflections and improve the clarity and focus of the soundstage.
The result
The result was a transformation in the listening experience. The system now performs with a level of clarity and openness that was simply not possible before. The soundstage is wide, deep and incredibly focused, and the music is more engaging and rewarding than ever.
The owner can now enjoy his music for hours on end without any fatigue, and the system has truly been given the space it deserves to perform at its best.
"We didn't realise how much a poor audio environment was affecting our enjoyment of music until it was finally fixed."
James & Rosie McIntie, North Yorkshire