How can I better damp speaker cabinet resonances?

Hi, all. First-time thread-starter here...

I am wondering if anyone has any ideas about ways to dampen floorstanding speaker cabinet resonances to improve micro-dynamics and soundstage imaging. As you can see from the images, I am running a pair of Triangle Zerius 202 speakers in my listening room, and, for the most part, they sound great.

I've included some images below. The first two are of my speakers, and the next two are of some marble used to dampen cabinets that I found on the internet (here: http://www.oregondv.com/Loudspeaker_Plinth_Base_Picture Gallery.htm).

I'm wondering if these or other ways are available to dampen my speakers' cabinet resonances and achieve better sound. If I went out and bought pieces of marble, how can I calculate weight and size of the marble before buying? And, what would be a good way to couple the marble to the speakers?

Any and all ideas are welcome. Thanks!

 

I don't think that adding weight to the top of the speaker will do much. It'll make the speaker a bit top heavy...

Bracing is done internally. The best way to get a better dampened speaker is to buy one that has a better dampened cabinet. That can be quite expensive! Damping isn't everything in terms of loudspeaker design though, so just because a speaker is well dampened, doesn't mean that it'll sound better than another which isn't.
-Bill

 

Short of just laminating additional layers of mdf around the cabinet (not practical for most), I agree that trying to improve the speakers self-produced resonances can not be accomplished without changing the intended design of the speakers. Adding internal bracing or material will change the design volume. Adding mass in isolated areas will tweak only certain frequencies and not necessarily for the better.

You can do better at isolating externally induced resonances. Search for the Barry Diament/speaker isolation thread.

 

More picture of your room please. Seeing a lot of glass in your two wall is enough to send me screaming for cover. I think you need sound absorption panels to absorbe those unwanted resonance.

 

Agreed. The room should have more impact then damping speakers.

Looks like there is a table and at least one chair between the speakers. Are they there all the time?
Have you tried removing them?

I'd try removing the table and chair for starters then try, depending how far apart they are, moving speakers closer together.

 

Seriously. Your room looks like a nightmare. Glass, bare hard floors, square, no stuffed furniture or drapes. Cabinet damping might get you a tiny improvement, but I think your time and effort would be better spent on improving the room itself. Me, I'd start with some nice thick drapes. Have you tried the speakers without the stands?

 

Thanks to everyone that responded. I think I'm going to have to rethink the problem again. I know that how well a speaker handles resonances is down to how well the cabinet is braced, but I was hoping to be able to help mine along. As for the room, it may look "lively," but it's the only room in the house where the system can really be allowed to breath.

Thanks again for all of your thoughts!

 

Black Hole 5, EAR IsoDamp, 3M . The former can be put inside the speaker without much effect on cabinet volume. The latter two products you could apply to the back of the enclosure where there are resonance peaks. You can get IsoDamp from Michael Percy, the 3M product from Music Direct. The IsoDamp and 3M product are also great for damping component enclosures.

http://www.soniccraft.com/products/damping/blackhole5.htm
http://www.percyaudio.com/
http://www.musicdirect.com/product/72701

Depending on how handy you feel you can also use Dynamat Extreme to damp the woofer baskets and the back of the tweeters.

Also, did the bricks under the speakers actually help? When I tried something like that it thinned the sound out to an unacceptable degree.

John K.

 

Yeah, too "Live" a room, I think...

I agree with other comments about the room. I would begin to attempt to dampen what I expect are excessive reflections from all the hard surfaces, like glass and hard floors.. I have found many older type windows to resonate and rattle like buzz-saws when the speakers start going, quite often. Or other things, like echos and reflections from hard walls and resonances of the wood floor etc..

If you are hearing something that needs to be damped, look to room items that could be rattleing to damp down. I will bet the speaker enclosures are among the least likely in that room to need damping first.

Your room could benefit from some soft treatments like others have mentioned.. And/or place the speakers differently, perhaps closer to the listener position or?

Hope this helps, happy listening. R. E.

 

The room has more effect than the cabinet construction. I think of the room as a large speaker cabinet, which it truly is. You are focusing on a tree, when you should be focusing on the forest.