The General's Audio Set-Up

[IanG-UK]

Hi @IanG-UK
Lovely setup! in the top picture, the central GIK panels appear to be in three separate sections. The left hand panel is inverted compared to the other two. Is this intentional and if so, what difference does it make?

Hi

Thank you! I understand what you mean but all panels are the right way up - you can just see on the central panels that the GIK stickers are all lower right.

The panels do have different random designs. I had not appreciated that when ordering and indeed until I started fixing them to the walls. So although neatness would make me prefer all the designs to be the same, in reality one does not notice - and they are rather tricky to get vertically and horizontally aligned using rawlplug screw holes that the thought of trying to redo them was just too much! Value wise they are not at the expensive end at £99 per panel. But not cheap. Best wishes - Ian

Ian,

As Axel says, nice system.

I noticed the same thing about the central panels as Axel but I did not notice the GIK labels in the lower right corners of each panel. I've looked long and hard again and I think that Axel is right. I think someone at the GIK factory put the label on the left hand panel on the wrong corner.

Yes, the pattern on each panel is random but it's the same random pattern. The fact that it is identical is easy to see on the centre and right panel but tricker to see on the left panel because you've got to mentally rotate it 180 degrees which isn't easy to do with a random pattern. Try looking at the top row of the left panel holes and the bottom line of the centre and right panels, then do the same with the bottom row on the left panel and the top row on the other 2 panels. It's easier to see if you compare the panels one row of holes at a time.

The holes are cut out on a computerised cutting machine which has been programmed to cut a specific pattern. GIK may offer several different patterns but every panel of the same pattern will be identical.

The pattern is intended to generate some diffusion and usually with identical diffusors placed side by side you should have them all oriented identically to generate uniform diffusion over the combined panel area. I don't know if having one panel upside down relative to the others will make a noticeable difference but it might, especially if you were sitting close to the panels. You seem to have a fair distance between you and them, however, and that will allow the diffusion to develop more fully (diffusors are less effective close to the panels because diffusion requires the reflection to spread out so diffusion improves with distance from the diffusor) so it may well not be noticeable at the listening position. If you ever take them down (eg if you're moving house) and putting them up somewhere else, I'd look at rotating the orientation of the left had panel by 180 degrees.

David

Thank you David

I'll see if that is feasible as it will involve removing one brand sticker (in my view) which may be untidy.

I have checked the side panels (six of them) and three are the same, two are the same but inverted (sticker on "wrong") but one is definitely different - the pattern on this is a left/right mirror image of the other five. If I get paranoid about it I will have to buy another one and remount three depending on sticker removal. Of course, one can then debate whether the left and right panels should be the same or should be mirror image variants - left and right. I think this calls for double blind listening tests so I sit there with my eyes closed for an hour whilst someone changes the mounting. Come to think of it I'd need my eyes closed throughout!

Regards,

Ian