SMS-1 or bass traps?

Hi everyone...I am looking to smooth out the low frequencies in my room, and have been doing some research on the SMS-1 and on bass traps...It seems that the bass traps (when positioned properly and in numbers) smooth out the anomolies naturally, while the SMS-1 works by compensating for a room's imperfections.

Has anyone had any experience comparing these two methods?...My home theater room is 12' x 15' with a single HSU STF-1 subwoofer...I would appreciate any and all opinions on this subject...Thank you very much.

I use both, but the most dramatic change came when I added the bass traps. Each room is different, so your results may vary. I should add that it is a lot easier to "tweak" the SMS-1 from one song to the next ...

I'd agree with garcianc2003 as a general rule. The layout of your room and the finishes will determine the magnitude of the impact from acoustical treatment (bass traps or other techniques). If you can accommodate acoustical treatment, that's the best place to start. For cases where you are limited in how much acoustical treatment you can do (such as a system like mine that is in the den and has to integrate with other functions), the SMS-1 offers an alternative that can do a lot to help without being intrusive.

For *one* position the SMS-1 will do fine regardless of the situation.

However, if you add bass traps you find it much much easier to get a flat response over a larger area. When I added traps I got all my listening spots to have a nice curve... I am in a square room so I really needed traps.

I've had my activity in this hobby on hold for the past couple of years, but the very first thing I did (just last week, actually) once I started up again was treat my room. I've heard everyone and their mother say that room treatments are the most significant improvement you can make next to speakers, and I've definitely found that to be true.

I added some GIK products to my small listening room (11.5'x16 with sloped 12' ceiling), and the difference is truly amazing. I had no prior experience with these things, so I just got some advice from the manufacturer and from the forums, and went for it. I'm sure I'll add to/adjust what I have with the next go-round, but until then I'm really astonished with how much more clear, rich, and embodied my music and movies are.

I was even joking around in another forum that the show Survivor had become an entirely new experience, because with every slosh of the mud, every splash of the water, crackle of the fire, etc., I was right in the middle of it.

I have nothing negative to say about electronic correction, cause I haven't used anything like that as of yet. But I can give a serious thumb's up to room treatments....everything everyone says about them is TOTALLY true.

http://profile.imageshack.us/user/ajzepp/

Thank you all very much for your input and advice...I have decided to build my own broadband bass traps using DIY parts from Ready Acoustics...I will keep you all posted...Thanks!

Sounds like a cool project. Look forward to hearing how it turns out.