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Author Topic: Audiophile Floor Covering?  (Read 5837 times)

Offline blaupunk

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Audiophile Floor Covering?
« on: March 07, 2010, 08:50:18 PM »
Is there such a thing?
One noted high end audio dealer opined that I should purchase only a carpet made of wool fiber that I could blow through and feel my breath.
Do they make carpet that cheap?
I have never smoked to speak of, and I have not yet found a carpet sample that I could accomplish that feat with!
The floor is poured concrete.
Any thoughts, or should I keep huffing and puffing?
Thanks,
CV
Charles Vonderheid

mep

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #1 on: March 08, 2010, 01:25:21 PM »
I would huff and puff on my way to finding a new high-end dealer.  All carpets to my knowledge have a backing to them so I don't know how you are going to blow through them and feel your breath.   Even more important, why would you want to?

Mark

Offline High and Outside

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #2 on: March 08, 2010, 02:58:08 PM »
This could be a new entry in the Annals Of Audiophile Foolishness.

While I personally prefer natural fibers in my listening environment, I would not suggest that synthetics can't also do a good job, because they can.

We use the blow-through test on fabrics sometimes as a shortcut to tell whether sound will get through a fabric--in the case that we want the sound to get through the fabric. Under what circumstances would you want your carpet to pass sound? I can only imagine using a carpet to damp the sound, so in that case you are looking for absorption, not transmission.
Paul Stubblebine
Managing Director, The TapeProject

Offline ironbut

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #3 on: March 08, 2010, 03:32:10 PM »
CV,
I'd heard of folks using leather for the floors of their listening rooms and I kinda had the same reaction as Paul did to the notion that one product should be preferable to another.
I think you've got the floor issue covered (pun intended) with having a solid slab poured. I've lived in houses on piers and that was a bass nightmare!

About the only thing I'd like to throw out is, you might want to steer away from natural wool. The fibers from those things get everywhere! So, IMHO, the practical side of things should be taken into consideration rather than the sonics.
steve koto
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Offline blaupunk

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #4 on: March 08, 2010, 04:39:32 PM »
Thanks to all.
The dealer is very well known and will remain nameless.
Ever see the old Hush Puppy commercial with the folks walking on sidewalks made of foam rubber to visually demonstrate how comfortable it was to wear the HP shoes?
That was sort of the way my carpet and pad felt.  I was concerned that the sound was too damped.  The rug was a synthetic fiber which was sheared I believe is the term and even light walking would send a cascade of tiny carpet filament fibers on everything.  It looked as though I hadn't dusted in months, even though I cleaned every week.
This was what I posed to the dealer and that was his answer wool/heavy breathing no kidding.

As a consequence, I was looking for a pad which was functional and not too 'plush'.  The product is a non foam equivalent of the old style of carpet pad.
Likewise ditch the plush carpet.  It was problematic for the bass port of my Eidolons and the spikes for my stands never did get through it.
The current rug salesman suggested continuous filament nylon loop as the best non shedding choice with relatively tight loops.

Since every hi fi showroom I have ever visited has commercial grade who knows what it is on the floor it is a bit tough to tell, and I do not recall a listening room article or room acoustics article really delving into the aspect of floor coverings.

Any thoughts on which carpet material has the least static electricity properties?

I know this is not the typical topic on the forum, so I appreciate you indulging my stupidity.  Steve knows a bit of the time and money I have spent on what has become a whole house gut job while we continue to live here; Ugh!
I would hate to have done all this and get the wrong carpet.

Thanks for any more thoughts.
CV



 
Charles Vonderheid

Offline docb

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #5 on: March 08, 2010, 05:18:41 PM »
Quote
Any thoughts on which carpet material has the least static electricity properties?

Grounded copper.
Dan "Doc B." Schmalle
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Managing Director - retired, The Tape Project

Offline blaupunk

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Re: Audiophile Floor Covering?
« Reply #6 on: March 08, 2010, 06:16:51 PM »
Docb,
Would that be loop or cut pile grounded copper Mr. Smarty pants?
You are kidding right? 
No I am not quite that foolish; OK dumb.

It pays to pity the fool when he is a charter subscriber!
Be nice to the living impaired; that would be me.
Good answer though, and I did ask for it....
Toyota?
Mike L is the Service VP for a Honda dealership right, I don't want to hurt his feelings.

CV
Charles Vonderheid