Would steel mesh on an entertainment unit affect sound quality?

[Samara1]

Planning to do below table for speakers with steel wiremesh door.

Anyone did stainless steel wiremesh door for speaker table , will it affect the sound quality?

Below is the mesh product link:

https://www.sanao-wiremesh.com/products_detail/19.html

[EricL]

Hello @Samara1 

If you are placing the speakers inside the cabinet, it will act like a baffle and make the sound muffled. I don't think the the mesh will help and possibly trap the sound even further. I don't recommend putting the speaker inside the cabinet.  

Let me call on our experienced members @Prof, @Dave-1 and @Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

[Nailbag]

Hi @Samara1 as cool as the design is I would have to agree with @EricL that if sound quality is at all important it will be totally lost with this concept. There are so many influencing factors purely by position within a normal environment let alone inclosing them within a metal mesh fronted cabinet.

Regards, Nailbag

[Samara1]

@Nailbag @EricL 

thanks i have attached the actual plan of partitions in orginal post

its small media room size is 3.6m x 3.4m

so added 5.1 channel system and speaker wiring is done already.

yet to buy speakers.

only the central speaker and amplified is sitting inside the cabinet.

subwoofer is actually sitting directly on floor inside the cabinet.

all the 4 speakers (2 standing speaker in front and 2 cieling speaker in back) are outside as per above diagram.

[Nailbag]

Hi @Samara1 

as per previous posts the quality of the sound output for any speakers within the cabinet will be compromised. I would consider placing the centre speaker on top of the cabinet and the sub externally off to one side if you want to maximise their effectiveness. Ultimately it comes down to personal hearing tastes. You may be perfectly happy with how the system sounds with internally positioned speakers and thats really all that matters.

Nailbag

[Dave-1]

Morning @Samara1 

The steel mesh will definently impact the sound quaility, anything really in front of the speaker itself will cause bounceback, muffel the sound.

I would still go with the black lightweight material cover I suggested as a best option.

On a side note, the any steel covering will definently effect the ability of a remote to control what is in the cabinet. Maybe you could leave one section "open" so that wont be an issue.

Dave

[Prof · Accepted solution]

Hi Samara 1...

I agree with what everyone has said  about the problems associated with having speakers in cabinets sitting on a shelf..

As a speaker manufacturer of many years ago, I had clients who had a similar situation as you have..They wanted to put speakers in equipment cabinets or in TV cabinets..or even overhead cupboards.!!

As I explained to them, there are numerous acoustic situations which are going to be detrimental to the finished sound quality..

With you having doors in front of the centre speaker only adds to the problem..

There is only one way to have the centre speaker producing all sound qualities with no added resonances and that is to build the centre speaker into the cabinet..i.e. the area where the separate speaker would be mounted..becomes a new centre speaker.!

Unless you have an understanding of speaker design..then it becomes impracticable..

You could find a person or Company that could do the work for you..but that could become an expensive speaker.!!

If you are set of having the speaker in the cabinet, then there is only one thing you can do..

Where that cutout is on the doors shown as mesh..It can only be a grill cloth material stretched across the openings..If you don't have access to grill cloth, then you use an acoustic polyester fabric mesh material..available from Spotlight or any similar store...You may even be able to get it in different colours if you don't like black...

When you buy the speaker..the first thing to do is remove the grill cloth frame assembly..

When you put the speaker in the cabinet, have the front of the speaker right up against the cloth on the cabinet..and sit the speaker on some foam rubber..

All of that should give you the best possible sound as much as possible..

Good luck with it..

Prof...