Bogus or legit - what do we reckon?

Fiddlesticks_ · May 10

Came across https://audiosilk.com/ while doomscrolling.

I’m more curious than anything as I don’t need any more acoustic panels.

They claim that they’re broadband absorbers and at £30-40 each they seem like good value, but I’m dubious as to how effective something so thin can be, and there’s little information given on how they actually work. I also I know there’s plenty of bogus shit being sold with the help of social media these days.

What do we reckon?

Whistler · May 10

Have a read of the topic to see what the forum thinks.

Anyone tried Audiosilk acoustic panels?

octatonic · May 10

One thing I think people often misunderstand about a lot of the newer “designer” acoustic panels is what they are actually capable of doing physically.
I don’t think they’re snake oil, and for certain applications they probably work perfectly well. But I do think they are often presented visually as though they’re a complete acoustic treatment solution, when in reality they are mainly addressing mid and high frequencies.

The issue is simple physics: thin porous absorbers struggle with low frequencies.

So yes:
• they’ll reduce flutter echo
• tame harsh reflections
• make a room feel less splashy
• help spoken word/podcasting
• clean up some upper-mid buildup

But they are not going to meaningfully solve:

• room modes
• bass buildup
• SBIR issues
• uneven LF translation
• low-end ringing
• corner loading

That generally requires either:

• substantial depth (4–6"+ broadband absorption)
• large air gaps
• tuned membrane/resonant traps
• or proper soffit-style LF treatment

What can happen with very thin treatment is that you absorb lots of highs while leaving the lows largely untouched. The result is that familiar “treated bedroom studio” sound where the room becomes dull on top but still muddy underneath.

To be fair to AudioSilk specifically, they actually seem more honest than many companies selling thin foam panels because they openly state that additional bass trapping is required for significant LF issues.

For context, I work from an acoustician-designed mix room and spent around £4k on proper acoustic treatment. That’s roughly what it takes if you genuinely want controlled low end and reliable translation in a full-range monitoring environment. There really isn’t a shortcut around the physics of wavelength and absorption.

Most (really ALL) rooms have bigger problems with bass. Fixing issues with mid and high end when you have persistent bass issues is the equivalent of polishing the silver wear while while the room is flooding.

These sorts of products imitate the look for a proper bass trap for people who don't know what they are doing. You could spend money on these and quite easily end up with a worse room.

You won't know though until you read the room with a measurement microphone and figure out what the problems are.

I will say this again.

You won't know though until you read the room with a measurement microphone and figure out what the problems are.

I've said this several times on other threads on this topic and so far not a single person has done it.
It goes in the 'too hard' basket, when in reality it isn't that difficult and not doing it means you stay ignorant of what your room issues are.
Every room has a buildup or null at various frequencies- it is part of the physics of rooms and systems.
You mitigate it by doing a measurement and then consulting with someone who knows what they are doing.
It is imperfect, but it is the best we have unless you want to spend big, big money.
Even then, it is still imperfect.

Anyone who just puts things up where they think they need to go without reading the room is simply guessing.
Imagine prescribing glasses to someone without testing their eyes first.

You *might* get lucky and it might make things better but you wouldn't get something optimal.

I think products like this make sense for:
• offices
• rental spaces
• podcast setups
• content creation rooms
• vocal areas
• secondary production spaces
• adding a bit of decay control without making a room look industrial

But in a serious mix environment with full-range monitoring, I personally wouldn’t rely on thin panels as primary acoustic treatment.

Acoustic treatment is one of those areas where aesthetics and physics are often fighting each other a little bit.

Winny_Pooh · May 10

^^^ Wiz'd

Fiddlesticks_ · May 10

Thanks @Whistler for the reference (I see there’s some good info from yourself in there) and thanks @octatonic for that very detailed response.

As I say, I’m not even in the market for acoustic panels but I am curious and becoming very cynical about a lot of the products I’m starting to see advertised on social media!

shaunm · June 2

@octatonic ;
you for your insight

Would you suggest learning the room you are in rather than attempting to make differences in a relatively uneducated fashion? I ask this as I am trying to make some small improvement to my room. I am thinking of putting a cloud or two above my desk and chair. Is it possible I make things worse by doing this?

For other first reflections I have a moveable GIK panel to the right of my desk and to the left the wall is over 10ft away.

Stuckfast · June 2

"Learning the room" is always going to be easier in a better room.

Do you have any freedom to move your listening position? Ideally you want things to be symmetrical, so having a panel hard up on one side and free space on the other probably isn't ideal.

shaunm · June 2

It’s an odd shaped room that I’ve split into two halves (divided by a big fabric sofa). Behind the sofa is where I record my amps. In front is where my desk is.

The dimensions are 17ft long, 8ft wide and 7ft high

Stuckfast · June 2

Assuming it's roughly rectangular you'd be best off setting up your speakers against one of the 8ft walls, with the same amount of space either side. Appreciate that may not be possible though.

shaunm · June 2

This is how I’ve got the room set up currently

https://freeimage.host/i/CF4Uncu

https://freeimage.host/i/CF4UCFe

https://freeimage.host/i/CF4UqP9

https://freeimage.host/i/CF4Uo8b

Stuckfast · June 2

In theory you'd be much better off setting up at the end of the room with the monitors firing down the long dimension towards the French windows.

shaunm · June 2

@Stuckfast i agree. Where the problem comes then is recording the amps which would then be down at the French door end.

Also, as unproductive as this might be. I quite like being in the light end of the room.

shaunm · June 2

@Stuckfast what I’m thinking for the set up I have is two GIK freestanding bass panels at either side of the desk and two bass panels as a cloud above my chair and desk.

Behind the monitors on the desk I need to put some there and behind where I am sat. However that might be later down the line.

Stuckfast · June 3

The usual recommendation is not to put treatment behind the speakers. Instead you are better off getting the speakers as close to the wall as you can. In your setup as it is right now, the place where treatment will probably make the most difference is directly behind the listening position so that you don't have sound bouncing off the wall behind you.

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Bogus or legit - what do we reckon?

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Anyone tried Audiosilk acoustic panels?