Wife wants new flooring in the gameroom/theater space...

[maseline98]

The space is below ground. We discussed about getting carpet, I'm thinking about using cork flooring with a throw rug...Anybody use it in their space? I know it wouldn't be as good as a sound dampener as carpet, but it should do better than a hardwood or bamboo.

[Loop 7]

Friends of mine have cork flooring and I think it's still quite reflective.

[Boomzilla]

HEAVY carpet pad with THICK pile carpet = greatest sound absorption. Anything less (including cork) will make for more reflectivity. Cork is most effective in walls & ceilings.

The Avalon Ballroom on Catalina Island (built by Mr. Wrigley, of gum fame) used about a foot of cork in the ceiling of a movie theater. A ballroom is built on top of the cinema. Big bands played in the ballroom (broadcast live via radio during the 1940's) and the cinema viewers couldn't tell that there was a band above them! It's an interesting place to visit if you ever get the chance.

[vneal]

Give her the wood floor
add heavy throw rug
heavy upholstered couch/chairs
use bass traps
absorb panels down the side walls

[wiskers]

I would use tile and put a throw rug over. If your basement is prone to flooding, you'll love the tile.

[maseline98]

Well...we haven't had any moisture issue as of yet...currently there is a builder grade (what appears to be an outodoor) carpet over concrete. Its very thin. I plan to use an entire wall of curtis on the left side (to split the 2 spaces and give some dampening).

[alto]

In my opinion the cork should be better than wood.

[alto]

You can also use a carpet pad under the rug.

[yves]

Hardwood (solid, not floating) over concrete is theoretically the best, with thick wool throw rugs to cover the early reflection points. A carpeted room can still work if there is enough reflection and (optional) diffusion going on so that the room doesn't sound too dead, whereas a room that sounds too live can be deadened by increasing the total absorbtive surface area on the walls and ceiling until an optimum balance between a dead and live sounding room is achieved. One important problem in trying to get the desired room ambience can be that it is easy to overabsorb mid and high frequencies, as thin absorptive materials like carpet and drapes only absorb frequencies above 400 - 1000 Hz, thereby shifting the reflected sound waves towards 300 Hz and below, making it sound dull.