Introduction:
If you read my article about room acoustics, you know that
correct speaker placement is the first step towards achieving the best sound in your listening room, especially bass. The next step is adding room acoustic treatments including bass traps. Most bass traps are passive devices that absorb bass at various frequencies, eliminating peaks and smoothing bass response.
Bag End Features:
Here’s a new twist on bass traps: Bag End, a manufacturer of professional, cinema, DJ and home speaker systems has just introduced the E-Trap, an active or powered bass trap that provides an electronic solution to room bass problems. The E-Trap resembles a small speaker and is designed as a supplement for much larger passive bass absorbers. The Bag End E-Trap employs a 10-inch woofer, a built-in microphone, amplifier and several tuning controls combined with a real-time feedback circuit that damps unwanted room resonance modes between 20Hz and 65Hz.The E-Trap is designed for home theaters, recording studios and control rooms. The E-Trap can compensate for two frequencies simultaneously. For example, if you have a room resonance mode at 30Hz and one at 55Hz, it can compensate for both. Windows PC software is included with the system to help measure and pinpoint the problem frequencies in a listening room.
Installation:
Installing the E-Trap is a three-step process: First, measure the level of the room resonance modes in various locations in the room using the software and place the E-Trap in that location. Second, set the Feedback, Contour and Coarse and Fine Frequency controls according to the instructions provided. Third, adjust the E-Trap Fine Frequency controls until the desired amount of bass damping is achieved.
Results:
Although I lack the sophisticated test equipment and a Windows PC (I use a Mac) to objectively measure its performance, I can report that the E-Trap was effective in damping heavy or boomy bass in my listening room. I located the room resonance modes by walking around the room until I found an area where bass was heavy or boomy. I placed the E-Trap with the controls set as directed. When activated, the E-Trap microphone picked up the problem frequency and output an inaudible signal that tamed the room resonance mode. Once the system was placed and tuned, it required no further attention.
Summary:
Without test equipment, the E-Trap requires some experimentation and listening to achieve the desired results. It is not designed to replace passive bass traps, but its small size provides an additional tool to absorb problem low frequencies. The Bag End E-Trap has a suggested retail price of $1,598.00. For more information, visit
bagend.com.Specifications:
- Enclosure: Consultant Version: 13-ply Birch plywood with black textured finish, a top-mounted handle and black grille cloth
- Designer Version: Natural wood veneer over MDF and black grille cloth
- Damping Surface: 10-inch loudspeaker
- Frequency range: 20-65Hz
- Controls: Feedback, Contour, Coarse and Fine Frequency Controls, Microphone selection, On/Off switch for each channel, two independent mode-damping channels
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 18” x 13” x 9.5”
- Weight: 33 lbs.
- Price: $1,598
- www.bagend.com
