2022 Golden Ear: GIK Acoustics Gotham N23 5″ Quadratic Diffusers

GIK Acoustics Gotham N23 5″ Quadratic Diffusers

$399 for two

A listening room is not a concert hall, and some attention to the acoustics of the space—the fraught subject of “room treatment”—is often required to maximize the positive attributes of an audio system. To be sure, sidewall reflections and a room’s bass nodes must be prioritized, but the introduction of well-executed diffusion can greatly increase the perceived size of a domestic listening space. Diffusers will take potentially damaging reflections and break them down into groups of smaller reflections that are then redistributed back into the room without alteration of their timing or amplitude. A “quadratic diffusor” has a series of troughs the dimensions of which have been calculated according to “quantum wavelength theory.” The device reflects the incident soundwaves back into the room in a consistent and predictable fashion. Despite what you may have heard, randomly pulling out books, LPs, or CDs from the shelving behind your speakers will not accomplish the same thing. Installing two or more of GIK’s surprisingly affordable 17.5″ x 17.5″ quadratic diffusor panels has the potential to improve soundstage depth, perceived detail, and spaciousness, in general. They are an exceptionally cost-effective upgrade to most systems, and they aren’t unattractive as things audio go.