Auralex Bass Traps Review: Do They Really Work?
Sometimes taming a bass in a room looks like taming the wildest and the most disobedient animal!
At least my teenager told me so. You already know he's into music, so I've learned a lot from him.
When he told me that picturesque thing about taming bass, I made a small research to see what he meant by that.
I came across lots of information on how people deal with low-frequency problems because they're indeed an issue for all musicians.
I also came across many positive opinions on Auralex products which are very useful and successful in dealing with this problem.
So, let us see what is Auralex, which products does it have to offer us and more.
A brief introduction on Auralex
Forty years ago, Eric Smith founded Auralex with the idea to offer a better alternative to foam panels of that time.
His goal was to create a product which will both be of excellent performance and at an affordable price, and he made it!
When one is motivated by the idea to give consumers real-world solutions which won't cost a fortune, when one carefully follows consumers' needs and tries to answer the demands the best possible way, success is guaranteed!
With the initial success of Studiofoam, the company became a leader in acoustical products.
They are mostly known by their excellent bass traps and diffusers.
They have room systems, construction, and absorption products.
What's even better, their solutions are freestanding and portable, which means you can adjust and tune your room by re-configuring it as many times as needed until you reach perfection.
Auralax Bass Traps Review
Like I already said, dealing with low frequencies (LF) is much more complicated than dealing with mid and high ones.
It requires lots of effort, more money and the question still remains - has anything changed?
Luckily, Auralex has developed many various bass traps, trying to give as many options as possible.
Corners of the rooms are so-called "hot spots“ when it comes to bass, especially trihedral ones (like two walls and a ceiling or two walls and a floor connection).
They have bass traps and corner fillers, as well as panels made of acoustical foam, and all of them are helpful with LF issue.
As you have probably heard, a foam is one of the most common materials used for the acoustical treatment of the room.
Products are available in different sizes and some of them come in various colors.
Do Auralex bass traps work?
This is the most frequently asked question.
I could freely say it's "a million dollar question“ knowing how difficult can be to find a product that works.
People are sometimes spending thousands of dollars trying to find a solution to the low-frequency issues and spending a whole fortune doesn't always mean you'll do the right thing.
As for Auralex bass traps, there's one thing you should know.
This is actually a piece of advice that should be applied to any of your purchases.
Before you judge on any product, make sure you have read the instruction manual and specification carefully.
You need to know how certain product works, what the expected performances are, how to set up or mount it, and only when you do so, will you be able to give an objective comment on the product.
Foam is an excellent material used for acoustic treatment, but not for soundproofing. This is a key information.
For more information about the difference between acoustic treatment and soundproofing, click here.
People use bass traps or any other foam products expecting to mute the room, to isolate all the sounds coming from the outside, and when a bass trap fails to do so, they mark it as a bad product.
Bass traps, like the name, says, are products meant to be used for fixing low frequencies issues.
If you use the product for this purpose, the product will be helpful, if you use it for any other, do not expect the same.
Another problem that comes up is a question of too many or not enough traps.
The number of traps depends on the size of your room and its overall acoustics.
I can freely say that there's no such thing as too many traps, at least when speaking of corner bass traps.
You won't make a mistake if you put one trap in each corner, which is eight in total. Then you can see how and do the traps work.
Moreover, you will also see whether eight traps is the right number for your room, or maybe you should add panels as well.
If you ask me what would I do, the answer is simple.
Somehow it seems more than logical to evaluate the room itself, get to know what's the sound like inside it.
All the things you have inside, like chairs, table, bed, shelves and so on, have a great influence on the sound in your room.
Sound travels through every object, reflects and bounces all around.
Another important factor is the size of your room. Different sizes require different approach and number of traps.
My conclusion would be that Auralex bass traps do the job if used properly.
The most popular Auralex bass traps
1) Auralex LENRD bass traps are definitely the most popular ones.
You can mount them between walls and ceiling, but that's not the only way you can use them. You can even wall-mount them horizontally.
They are effective in absorbing low frequencies down to 63Hz so you will have the LF response of your room under control.
This product comes in a pack of four. Besides charcoal, it's also available in purple and burgundy.
So you have a nice sound and nice decoration all in one, plus it's a budget-friendly solution.
2) Auralex stand-mounted LENRDs are a bit taller than standard LENRD traps.
You can extend the stand, so to adjust the desired height of traps.
The best thing about this product is the fact that it is portable.
So, you have all the basic LENARD’s functionality that you can carry with you wherever needed. Being placed on a stand, there are no worries how to mount them.
Your right hand when it comes to acoustics is literally always by your side.
There are four of them in one pack.
Besides this fantastic purple variant, you can also buy burgundy stand-mounted LENRDs.
3) Auralex Metro LENRD bass traps are also another fantastic product meant to control bass response in the room.
It’s made of high-density acoustical foam and will not change its form over time.
It’s partially formulated out of soy components and that means reduced use of chemicals based on petroleum.
The product comes in a pack of eight and is also available in three colors- purple, charcoal, and burgundy.
4) Auralex Roominator kit is an all-inclusive set ideal for the smaller studio. It features bass traps and panels, practically all that one needs.
With this product, you will actually hear the source of the sound, not just the bouncing. Isn’t that fantastic?
This, like all the other Auralex products, is available in 3 color combinations.
Besides these LENARDs I have mentioned, Auralex also has Venus bass traps, corner fills and corner cubes, but the reason I have chosen LENRDs is that they are far the most popular among users.
Just a small general note on Auralex traps. They are light-weight, long-lasting products which won’t crumble with age.
These traps are meant for corners, walls, and ceilings and they’re easy to install.
You can use one of the following products to install them: Auralex EZ- stick pro peel and stick tabs, or adhesives such as Foamtak or Tubetak Pro.
Why choose Auralex bass traps?
When you have so many products available, it can be difficult to make the right choice which one is the right one.
Somehow money always dictates everything, but no matter how money one wants to or can spend, one always looks for quality and practical solution.
Some people like to say that one should stay away from the foam when trying to find a solution for low frequencies in the room, but, let’s be honest, not all the foams are the same.
Once you start looking for acoustic foam, you will see that there are many companies who offer a wide range of sizes, shapes, and colors and that the prices are various.
Buying the most expensive deal is not the solution, and you should know that when something is rather cheap doesn’t necessarily mean that the quality is poor.
The best is to have a reasonable approach and always look for balance.
Auralex products are great because:
Alternative to Auralex
We recommend the Acoustic Pro Fabric Wrapped panel. Fabric is 2x more effective than foam in sound absorbing. It also improves sound quality and speech intelligibility by reducing reverberations and echoes and it is Made in the USA.
Final Verdict: On Auralex Bass Traps Review
These are some of the reasons why I would choose them over some others.
As I said, they do the job more than well if you know how to use them and if you previously evaluated your room.
Hope my guide through Auralex bass traps was helpful! Looking for other brands? Click here for the best bass traps reviewed.