R.T.F.S. Ceiling Vane and Carreau
First Application
The first location where I tried the Ceiling Vanes is above the loudspeakers where I previously used GiK 422 broadband bass traps. While the GiKs did reduce the vertical room mode that resulted in too much reverberance in the upper bass that created a hollow/nasal upper bass, these panels also dampened the overall liveliness of the sound and dulled the treble significantly. While this was no issue with the Wilson Watt/Puppy 8’s as these speakers are plenty spicy and lively, with the very well-behaved Magico S1 mk2’s, this proved too much. As a result, I removed the panels some time ago and have thus far preferred slightly too much midbass to an overdamped overall performance.
In order to avoid having to drill new holes in the ceiling, I used wooden extensions for four of the five connection plates, see photo below. While the panels are held up securely, due to leaving the center point unfixed, they bulge a bit in the middle. Normally, the panels hang absolutely flatly.
Here’s a tip to get the neatest result. Because the Spack (structure paint) layer on the ceiling is not 100% flat, it’s best to not screw the magnets into the ceiling too tightly. In my case, this resulted in the panels bending in some places. By untightening the screws just half a turn, the magnet will be free to auto-level with the mounting plate, resulting in a beautifully flat panel.
With the panels in place and without any music playing, I already noticed when humming that the ambiance was different- calmer, and less reverberant. For a major part of my professional career, I have worked in audio and video editing suites, sound recording studios, and VO booths, and all these spaces were overdamped. While that may have been ideal for those purposes, the goal for the home is to obtain a good balance between damping and liveliness. If this first impression is anything to go by then the Ceiling Vanes do indeed go some way toward preventing overdamping.
Listening
Listening to the same 5-track playlist as I used just 2 minutes prior to attaching the panels (thanks to the magnetic fixation!), the results simply can’t be argued with. Even though the panels are above the speakers and not in the first reflection points, it’s clear that the panels are extremely effective in these positions. Without the panels, the hard laminate floor (with no carpet at that position) and concrete ceiling interact audibly and the panels balance this out entirely.
At this point, it also became clear that while the Ceiling Vanes provide a high degree of damping, they do indeed also allow a moderate amount of reflection. You don’t get the overwhelming dulling that I got when using broadband bass traps such as the GiK 422’s.
With the Ceiling Vane panels in place, several things happen. First, the recorded ambiance becomes clearer, wrapping more around me. I know it seems illogical but I have repeated the comparison and this is really what happens. Further, a hard coloration in the upper bass / lower midrange (floor-ceiling resonance) is removed. This is an aspect that might require some getting used to as it also makes the sound a little calmer and less bright. However, it does not reduce the slam or dynamics. If anything, sudden sounds have more impact due to the more silent background. What happens, in reality, is that one gets used to a certain amount of room-induced liveliness that one may prefer but which could also be considered unnatural. The third aspect that I notice with the use of the Ceiling Vanes is more accurate bass. Even though the panels are not strictly speaking bass traps, they do clean up the upper bass resulting in clearer pitch definition and better articulation.
As mentioned, the intended location for the Ceiling Vanes is not how I used them now, but in the first reflection points on the ceiling. In my case, however, I have a strong feeling that this might not be the ideal location for my particular situation. My reasoning is as follows. The equipment area of my listening room contains no carpeting and, aside from two SiRRAH panels, no other damping materials. As a result, the panels integrate well in that area. Conversely, the seating area of the room contains very large sofas with thick cushions and a large and thick wool rug. Experiments with removing the rug showed that it provided a significant amount of damping – slightly too much, actually. But I like the aesthetics and comfort of the rug and it did prove essential in keeping the floor reflections in check. Together, the rug and the sofas already provide more than enough damping. Additionally, the ceiling is quite high for an apartment – 260cm. At around 100cm, the speakers’ tweeters are located much closer to the floor than they are to the ceiling, meaning that reflections from the floor are more prominent and these have already been addressed. Lastly, the speakers are positioned pretty much halfway into the room and relatively close to the listening position, further reducing the potential benefits.
All things considered, I opted not to drill 10 more holes in the ceiling (and will remain visible afterward) just to try it out. If and when I change speakers this may change and in that case, I will update this article. For now, I decided to proceed to another section of the apartment where I already knew that the panels’ blessings would be much more urgently needed.
Second Application
Adjacent to the listening room is a large kitchen area that doubles as my workplace where I have the computer desk. As such, I spend copious amounts of time in this room. With near-identical distances between the floor and ceiling and the two side walls and with no damping materials whatsoever, this area has always been overly lively. Throughout the area, there are several resonances (multiple modes across the frequency band) with a particularly annoying 200Hz peak above the table and computer desk. This is not only noticeable when talking with guests at the dining table but also when I’m all alone and humming along with the music.
I used a crossline laser in combination with a tape measure and a laser distance meter to find the correct distances.
Not only does this area have bad acoustics when you are in it, but the area is also situated such that sound from the speakers from the listening area is captured and reflected between the two side walls. One might assume that these reflections simply die out but they are actually audible from the listening position as a small amount of fluttery reverberance coming from the left-hand side.
In the context of a non-treated room, one might judge this as a side-issue. But because the right-hand side of the room has been carefully treated using two stacks of R.T.F.S. Big Blocks and the rest of the room is so well-balanced, this reverberance becomes even more distracting.
Listening
With the addition of only two Ceiling Vanes, the sound quality in this room improved immensely. Not only are all of the resonances entirely gone, but it’s also as if the desk got thicker and I changed keyboards. Rather than sounding clickety-clackety, it sounds like a brand new and better keyboard. Visitors also noticed it immediately by their voices sounding more pleasant and more natural.
More pertinent to this review, perhaps, in addition to fixing the in-room issues in this area, the Ceiling Vanes also greatly reduced the reverberance issue when listening to music in the main room.
