Saturn Polycylindrical Diffusor

Sound On Sound Magazine product review | 2010

For a printable pdf of this article go here.

Does it run rings around the competition?

Sound Control Room are a US company headed by engineer and acoustician Steven Klein, and they’ve just announced a diffusion solution that Klein says is perfectly suited to small control rooms. Saturn Polycylindrical Diffusor.

Steven has some interesting ideas about acoustics, including some controversial opinions about broad-band bass traps and their effectiveness, or lack thereof, in treating small rooms (those with an interest on the subject should check out his web site, which hosts some articles on the matter that make for interesting reading). A quick look at his client list and discography, however, indicates that he has many years of experience in the area of acoustics, and that his opinions should not lightly be dismissed.

Not only is the Saturn Polycylindrical Diffusor a bit of a mouthful, it is also, according to its makers, more effective than typical quadratic residue (or Schroeder) diffusors when placed close to the listening position, as a small room would necessitate.

Unlike absorptive panels (of the kind our very own Paul and Hugh can frequently be seen gaily bedecking walls with in Studio SOS), diffusors are actually designed to reflect sound back into the room, albeit in a more random and scattered way than would occur if the walls were left bare. The idea is to reduce distinct echoes (ie. sound that bounces off the wall at an angle equal to that at which it arrives), but without deadening a room’s sound, such that it behaves in a manner more akin to a large room.

The convex shape of the Polycylindrical Diffusor apparently means that it re-radiates sound that hits (and is not absorbed by) it from a field of 120 degrees, compared with only 20 degrees for a flat surface. What’s more, according to the press release, it does so “without the frequency shift often found in more complex and costly diffusors”.

Constructed from ABS plastic, they are available in either black or white, though they can also be painted without reducing their efficacy. They are also surprisingly affordable, at just $54.99 plus shipping (the price goes down for multiple purchases). For more information, check here.

For a printable pdf of this article go here.