How Diffusion of Sound Works

Diffusion, in audio, is the scattering of sound waves, reducing the sense of localization.

If we think of a series of sound waves bouncing off a wall, they’re concentrated and moving in the same direction at the same time. The reflections off the wall will come back to the listener at approximately the same time and from approximately the same direction.

The Lamvin Inc. Interactive Series includes two types of Diffusers and Absorbers. This series of products is the ultimate combination of sound reflection and absorption. Diffusers feature a convex or pyramid shape with reflective surfaces to diffuse sound within a zone.

Now, if we introduce a diffusor onto that flat surface and we generate the same sound waves, what happens? Most people would say that we are scattering the sound in other directions rather than in the directly reflected path. This is true but is not the whole story. A good diffusor not only changes the reflections to propagate in different directions but does so evenly in all directions. Just splitting a wave to go into 2 directions doesn’t do enough. We’ve effectively changed the concentration of the waves in a certain portion of the room. We’ve also effectively taken the intensity of the initial wavefront and split it among the various reflections so that each one is not only coming from a different direction, but each is also weaker and harder to distinguish but we’ve lost no energy in the process.

Diffusers are ideal for venues such as theaters and auditoriums, which demand exquisite sound quality and enhanced acoustical performance. Barrels and pyramids disperse, and blend sounds within a room, greatly reducing sound waves and echoes. Each shape uniquely radiates sound from its surface, providing a balanced distribution of reflective sound for a broad range of frequencies.