The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels are a small, décor-friendly, and uniquely powerful tool
for reducing room acoustic problems, especially those associated with bass standing waves.
Usually mounted in the upper corners, which will tend to “horn load” with acoustic pressure where two walls meet the
ceiling, these Panels help to equalize frequency response in the room.
By ameliorating standing waves, which can cause boomy bass in some areas in the listening room and anemic bass
response in other locations in the same room, the low frequency “foundation” is better controlled, allowing the midrange
and higher frequencies to also “breathe” more easily. Not only is bass more tuneful with greater impact, the midrange
(and dialog) is more articulate and dynamic, and sound stage size and layering is significantly improved.
Room acoustic control applications include high performance home audio and home theater sound reproduction, as well
as performance and recording venues. The panels are uniquely well-suited for use in residential home theaters due to
response and the frequencies encompassing dialog.
These panels measure only 11”x 16”x 2” (28 x 41 x 5cm), and weigh only 4 lbs. each, but are actually more effective that
the 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise necessary to affect frequencies under 200 Hz. In addition, our panels
accomplish their room equalization without the high frequency roll-off that accompanies the use of fiber or foam filled
panels. The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels represent the most powerful approach to addressing problems
associated with standing waves that we have found. The acoustic treatment products that we have distributed in the
past under the RoomTune and RoomLens brands were not very effective at controlling frequencies under 200 Hz, while
products from other manufacturers which are designed to deal with these frequencies are all very large, and as a result
both expensive and difficult to place in a room. These new panels easily wall mount and are actually more effective than
the 4-6 foot (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise necessary to affect these frequencies. Selling at less than $90 per panel,
they are an easy to live with and affordable solution for audio and videophiles with boomy bass and a resulting loss of
midrange and dialog intelligibility. Application to recording and performance spaces is also recommended.
Technical: The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels use simple materials to control the long identified
principles of air flow and the relationship to pressure changes known as the “Venturi effect.” The “Venturi effect”
demonstrates that air flowing through a constriction must speed up due to the restriction, thereby reducing its
pressure. In our product, application of this principle of physics reduces acoustic pressure in the upper corners of the
room where the large flat surfaces, the walls and ceiling, meet and multiply the pressure they are collecting in a “horn
loading” manner.
The method of constriction within these Panels is engineered to have a primary effect on mid-bass and deep bass
response below 200 Hz, where room nodes are principally excited. In addition, at these frequencies, the “room-boom”
will not only color the human voice, but also interferes with broader band articulation due to room resonance “hang-
over.”
More on Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels…
Those who have know us for more than a few of our 17 years in the audio business may recall our extensive earlier
work in room acoustics beginning with Michael Green’s RoomTune concepts, continuing on to the ASC, Echo busters,
and RoomLens products, and then more recently the Shakti Holographs. All good and effective, but no new acoustic
tools for the last few years. In a sense this status quo makes it easier for those of us who are working on your room
diagrams, applying the same tools, and making our best suggestions from the well-know universe of options. But our
universe is shaken…read on for more.
Why is it important to acoustically treat the room?
Everyone has been in good sounding rooms: rooms where it is comfortable to converse, or a music room or concert
hall or theater where performances just sound better, more balanced, you can understand the lyrics, etc. And
conversely we have all been in the restaurant where you can’t hear someone speaking across the table, or the concert
hall where you can’t enjoy the performance because of the sonic congestion, or the music room where you are
overwhelmed by the boomy bass, or disappointed by the lack of bass.
Fundamentally all rooms will acoustically “load” the same way. By this I mean that the large flat surfaces – the walls and
ceiling – gather energy, and where they meet, especially at the corners near the ceiling, where there are no furnishings
to disrupt the energy flows, acoustic energy will build and basically horn load back out into the room. This effect will be
greater or lesser in rooms depending on the overall size and the mathematical relationships between the dimensions of
length and width and ceiling height, and also the construction methods, but in our experience all rooms will benefit from
acoustic treatment. The theory (well proven in practice) is that if you can “equalize” acoustic pressure in the corners,
you have made a large step towards smoothing out room response. And in a better equalized room, like that better
sounding concert hall, everything sounds better.
The first product to address this upper corner effect was the venerable “CornerTune,” a triangular pillow from
RoomTune with a reflective side and an absorbing side. At the time, maybe a dozen years ago, it was called (by many
in the press, not to mention the dealers who understood the concept) the single most important thing, or the single
highest value improvement, most audiophiles could do for their systems. This is an important point. In the context of
high end audio and high performance video it is often the case that relatively modest expenditures on room acoustics
can have a hugely disproportionate impact on the sound of the system. And an untreated room can seriously
compromise even the best components.
We have continued to recommend this CornerTune type of product, or its variants, as a first step in most of our room
acoustic plans. But just when we found ourselves thinking that this as far as it ever would go, along comes a new
product called Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels (for this article we will shorten to “Panels”) that does a much
better job by incorporating some New Old Technology.
Who and What is it?
Some smart engineers at an Oregon-based research and development firm, called Ncore Technologies Inc., specializing
in product development for the audio industry, came up with the idea of applying the “Venturi effect: (long identified
principles of air or fluid flow and the relationship to pressure changes, which is used in everything from carburetors to
airplane wings to swimming pool filters) to the challenge of room acoustics. What they found was not only that it worked,
but that by “tuning” the acoustic device (the “Panel”), they could focus the effect on frequencies below 200Hz, ie, bass
response.
Why is this a good thing?
Over our years in dealing with room acoustics, we have found that many acoustic treatment devices can effect midrange
and high frequencies, but very few are effective on bass response. And, all of these that do work on deep bass are BIG
because these frequencies have big waves. Both Echobusters and ASC make floor-standing bass traps that work on
deep bass, but these are all at least 5 feet (1.5m) tall, and expensive to purchase and ship.
But, until now, this has been the only solution we have had to “standing waves,” which can cause boomy bass in some
areas in the listening room, and anemic bass response in other locations in the same room. And, when you can control
bass standing waves, not only is the low frequency “foundation” better controlled, the midrange and higher frequencies
can also “breathe” more easily. Not only is bass more tuneful with greater impact, the midrange and dialog is more
articulate and dynamic, and soundstage size and layering is significantly improved. (You will understand this concept if
you have a well-integrated subwoofer in your system, or have upgraded the signal, and/or AC cables to your
subwoofer. It is not so much what these improvements do for the bass, although this is certainly significant, as it is what
they do for the midrange and high frequencies.)
But, things have changed! Not only do these “Panels” do a great job below 200 Hz, they measure only 11”x 16”x 2”
(28x41x5cm), and weigh only 4 lbs. each! It’s like hanging a small, framed picture.
*And they only cost $90 each! (Sold in pairs for $179.95)*
Just how effective are they?
The first thing we did was to pull down the CornerTunes in one of our listening rooms and substitute one “Panel” near
each corner. Wow. The most obvious effect was on the high frequencies, which were much clearer and more open,
with an improved naturalness in the midrange. Of course cleaner, tighter bass was also apparent.
Very Impressive!
Because this demonstration room is very live acoustically, and capable of significant bass response, the designers
encouraged us to try a second panel in each corner. Hopeful for a small additional improvement, we were surprised by
another big step up.
So, we proceeded to try for more “Panels” at different points in the room, but found that the “Panels” only work when in
the high pressure zones in the corners.
Why not handle room acoustics with digital signal processing equipment “DSP”?
Except for the Rives Audio product, which also focuses on dealing with bass frequencies, most DSP is not designed to
work on low frequencies. And, those that do, like the Rives, are both much more expensive than these “Panels,” and
also must be inserted in the signal path, where nothing is truly transparent. Finally, it is much easier and gentler in a
sonic sense to apply DSP to a room that already has been passively treated than it is to use DSP like a sledgehammer
to beat a totally unequalized room into submission.
More testing, more rooms, and here is what we can recommend for you:
1. If you are already using an acoustic triangle of some sort in the ceiling corners, or other corner treatments, you will
be thrilled with the improvement you will get with these “Panels.”
2. If you are not already addressing these upper corners, or using some other acoustic treatments for that matter, you
should be very happy to hear that for a relatively modest cost, and in a décor-friendly way, you can improve everything
about your music system. This is certainly the first step anyone should take in dealing with room acoustics.
3. If you are using other acoustic treatments (ASC, Echobuster, RoomLens, Shakti Holograph, etc.) or DSP solutions,
good news! Because these “Panels” contain no foam or fiber damping material, they do not seem to interact in any sort
of unfavorable way with other acoustic products. And, because the primary effect of the “Panels” is on frequencies
below 200 Hz, they are working on the areas that most of the other acoustic products don’t even touch. Even in an
elaborately treated acoustic environment, the “Panels” should be considered the first step.
4. If you are a home theater buff who has avoided acoustic treatment because you couldn't clutter up he room, this is
very good news because these “Panels” are small and mount near the ceiling. No problem. And, home theaters tend to
make big bass, and as a result, particularly suffer from standing waves.
5. If your room is very live, and/or generating high sound pressure levels, and especially lots of bass, then use two of
the “Panels” in each upper corner rather than one. It is worth it.
Summary: The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels represent the most powerful approach to addressing
problems associated with standing waves that we have found. These new panels measuring only 11”x 16” x 2”
(28x41x5cm) easily wall mount and are actually more effective than the 4-6 foot (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise
necessary to affect these bass frequencies. Selling at less than $90 per panel, they are an easy to live with and
affordable solution for audio and video-philes. Application to recording and performance spaces is also recommended.
for reducing room acoustic problems, especially those associated with bass standing waves.
Usually mounted in the upper corners, which will tend to “horn load” with acoustic pressure where two walls meet the
ceiling, these Panels help to equalize frequency response in the room.
By ameliorating standing waves, which can cause boomy bass in some areas in the listening room and anemic bass
response in other locations in the same room, the low frequency “foundation” is better controlled, allowing the midrange
and higher frequencies to also “breathe” more easily. Not only is bass more tuneful with greater impact, the midrange
(and dialog) is more articulate and dynamic, and sound stage size and layering is significantly improved.
Room acoustic control applications include high performance home audio and home theater sound reproduction, as well
as performance and recording venues. The panels are uniquely well-suited for use in residential home theaters due to
response and the frequencies encompassing dialog.
These panels measure only 11”x 16”x 2” (28 x 41 x 5cm), and weigh only 4 lbs. each, but are actually more effective that
the 4-6 feet (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise necessary to affect frequencies under 200 Hz. In addition, our panels
accomplish their room equalization without the high frequency roll-off that accompanies the use of fiber or foam filled
panels. The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels represent the most powerful approach to addressing problems
associated with standing waves that we have found. The acoustic treatment products that we have distributed in the
past under the RoomTune and RoomLens brands were not very effective at controlling frequencies under 200 Hz, while
products from other manufacturers which are designed to deal with these frequencies are all very large, and as a result
both expensive and difficult to place in a room. These new panels easily wall mount and are actually more effective than
the 4-6 foot (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise necessary to affect these frequencies. Selling at less than $90 per panel,
they are an easy to live with and affordable solution for audio and videophiles with boomy bass and a resulting loss of
midrange and dialog intelligibility. Application to recording and performance spaces is also recommended.
Technical: The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels use simple materials to control the long identified
principles of air flow and the relationship to pressure changes known as the “Venturi effect.” The “Venturi effect”
demonstrates that air flowing through a constriction must speed up due to the restriction, thereby reducing its
pressure. In our product, application of this principle of physics reduces acoustic pressure in the upper corners of the
room where the large flat surfaces, the walls and ceiling, meet and multiply the pressure they are collecting in a “horn
loading” manner.
The method of constriction within these Panels is engineered to have a primary effect on mid-bass and deep bass
response below 200 Hz, where room nodes are principally excited. In addition, at these frequencies, the “room-boom”
will not only color the human voice, but also interferes with broader band articulation due to room resonance “hang-
over.”
More on Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels…
Those who have know us for more than a few of our 17 years in the audio business may recall our extensive earlier
work in room acoustics beginning with Michael Green’s RoomTune concepts, continuing on to the ASC, Echo busters,
and RoomLens products, and then more recently the Shakti Holographs. All good and effective, but no new acoustic
tools for the last few years. In a sense this status quo makes it easier for those of us who are working on your room
diagrams, applying the same tools, and making our best suggestions from the well-know universe of options. But our
universe is shaken…read on for more.
Why is it important to acoustically treat the room?
Everyone has been in good sounding rooms: rooms where it is comfortable to converse, or a music room or concert
hall or theater where performances just sound better, more balanced, you can understand the lyrics, etc. And
conversely we have all been in the restaurant where you can’t hear someone speaking across the table, or the concert
hall where you can’t enjoy the performance because of the sonic congestion, or the music room where you are
overwhelmed by the boomy bass, or disappointed by the lack of bass.
Fundamentally all rooms will acoustically “load” the same way. By this I mean that the large flat surfaces – the walls and
ceiling – gather energy, and where they meet, especially at the corners near the ceiling, where there are no furnishings
to disrupt the energy flows, acoustic energy will build and basically horn load back out into the room. This effect will be
greater or lesser in rooms depending on the overall size and the mathematical relationships between the dimensions of
length and width and ceiling height, and also the construction methods, but in our experience all rooms will benefit from
acoustic treatment. The theory (well proven in practice) is that if you can “equalize” acoustic pressure in the corners,
you have made a large step towards smoothing out room response. And in a better equalized room, like that better
sounding concert hall, everything sounds better.
The first product to address this upper corner effect was the venerable “CornerTune,” a triangular pillow from
RoomTune with a reflective side and an absorbing side. At the time, maybe a dozen years ago, it was called (by many
in the press, not to mention the dealers who understood the concept) the single most important thing, or the single
highest value improvement, most audiophiles could do for their systems. This is an important point. In the context of
high end audio and high performance video it is often the case that relatively modest expenditures on room acoustics
can have a hugely disproportionate impact on the sound of the system. And an untreated room can seriously
compromise even the best components.
We have continued to recommend this CornerTune type of product, or its variants, as a first step in most of our room
acoustic plans. But just when we found ourselves thinking that this as far as it ever would go, along comes a new
product called Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels (for this article we will shorten to “Panels”) that does a much
better job by incorporating some New Old Technology.
Who and What is it?
Some smart engineers at an Oregon-based research and development firm, called Ncore Technologies Inc., specializing
in product development for the audio industry, came up with the idea of applying the “Venturi effect: (long identified
principles of air or fluid flow and the relationship to pressure changes, which is used in everything from carburetors to
airplane wings to swimming pool filters) to the challenge of room acoustics. What they found was not only that it worked,
but that by “tuning” the acoustic device (the “Panel”), they could focus the effect on frequencies below 200Hz, ie, bass
response.
Why is this a good thing?
Over our years in dealing with room acoustics, we have found that many acoustic treatment devices can effect midrange
and high frequencies, but very few are effective on bass response. And, all of these that do work on deep bass are BIG
because these frequencies have big waves. Both Echobusters and ASC make floor-standing bass traps that work on
deep bass, but these are all at least 5 feet (1.5m) tall, and expensive to purchase and ship.
But, until now, this has been the only solution we have had to “standing waves,” which can cause boomy bass in some
areas in the listening room, and anemic bass response in other locations in the same room. And, when you can control
bass standing waves, not only is the low frequency “foundation” better controlled, the midrange and higher frequencies
can also “breathe” more easily. Not only is bass more tuneful with greater impact, the midrange and dialog is more
articulate and dynamic, and soundstage size and layering is significantly improved. (You will understand this concept if
you have a well-integrated subwoofer in your system, or have upgraded the signal, and/or AC cables to your
subwoofer. It is not so much what these improvements do for the bass, although this is certainly significant, as it is what
they do for the midrange and high frequencies.)
But, things have changed! Not only do these “Panels” do a great job below 200 Hz, they measure only 11”x 16”x 2”
(28x41x5cm), and weigh only 4 lbs. each! It’s like hanging a small, framed picture.
*And they only cost $90 each! (Sold in pairs for $179.95)*
Just how effective are they?
The first thing we did was to pull down the CornerTunes in one of our listening rooms and substitute one “Panel” near
each corner. Wow. The most obvious effect was on the high frequencies, which were much clearer and more open,
with an improved naturalness in the midrange. Of course cleaner, tighter bass was also apparent.
Very Impressive!
Because this demonstration room is very live acoustically, and capable of significant bass response, the designers
encouraged us to try a second panel in each corner. Hopeful for a small additional improvement, we were surprised by
another big step up.
So, we proceeded to try for more “Panels” at different points in the room, but found that the “Panels” only work when in
the high pressure zones in the corners.
Why not handle room acoustics with digital signal processing equipment “DSP”?
Except for the Rives Audio product, which also focuses on dealing with bass frequencies, most DSP is not designed to
work on low frequencies. And, those that do, like the Rives, are both much more expensive than these “Panels,” and
also must be inserted in the signal path, where nothing is truly transparent. Finally, it is much easier and gentler in a
sonic sense to apply DSP to a room that already has been passively treated than it is to use DSP like a sledgehammer
to beat a totally unequalized room into submission.
More testing, more rooms, and here is what we can recommend for you:
1. If you are already using an acoustic triangle of some sort in the ceiling corners, or other corner treatments, you will
be thrilled with the improvement you will get with these “Panels.”
2. If you are not already addressing these upper corners, or using some other acoustic treatments for that matter, you
should be very happy to hear that for a relatively modest cost, and in a décor-friendly way, you can improve everything
about your music system. This is certainly the first step anyone should take in dealing with room acoustics.
3. If you are using other acoustic treatments (ASC, Echobuster, RoomLens, Shakti Holograph, etc.) or DSP solutions,
good news! Because these “Panels” contain no foam or fiber damping material, they do not seem to interact in any sort
of unfavorable way with other acoustic products. And, because the primary effect of the “Panels” is on frequencies
below 200 Hz, they are working on the areas that most of the other acoustic products don’t even touch. Even in an
elaborately treated acoustic environment, the “Panels” should be considered the first step.
4. If you are a home theater buff who has avoided acoustic treatment because you couldn't clutter up he room, this is
very good news because these “Panels” are small and mount near the ceiling. No problem. And, home theaters tend to
make big bass, and as a result, particularly suffer from standing waves.
5. If your room is very live, and/or generating high sound pressure levels, and especially lots of bass, then use two of
the “Panels” in each upper corner rather than one. It is worth it.
Summary: The Cathedral Sound Room Dampening Panels represent the most powerful approach to addressing
problems associated with standing waves that we have found. These new panels measuring only 11”x 16” x 2”
(28x41x5cm) easily wall mount and are actually more effective than the 4-6 foot (1.2-1.8m) tall panels otherwise
necessary to affect these bass frequencies. Selling at less than $90 per panel, they are an easy to live with and
affordable solution for audio and video-philes. Application to recording and performance spaces is also recommended.
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