“Geometry has two great treasures: one is the Theorem of Pythagoras; the other, the division of a line into extreme and mean ratio. The first we may compare to a measure of gold; the second we may name a precious jewel.”
-Johannes Kepler, 1571-1630
Kepler’s division of line into extreme and mean ratio is a reference to what the ancient Greeks defined as Phi. There is a unique point on every line where, if divided, the ratio of the long line to the short line will be exactly the same as the ratio of the whole line to the long line. This ratio, popularly called the ‘Golden Ratio,’ is roughly equal to 1.618, although in reality Phi is an irrational number, like the better-known Pi.
The Fibonacci Sequence is also a demonstration of this ratio that has fascinated Greek philosophers, Renaissance artists, astronomers, and architects alike. The Golden Ratio is literally everywhere in nature, the branches of plants, the veins in leaves, the proportions of chemical compounds, and the geometry of crystals.
Beyond the physical manifestations of the Golden Ratio, there is sound scientific evidence that it plays a role in a human’s perception of beauty. Some famous structures like the Pyramids, and the Parthenon, follow the Golden Ratio in their design, but it is not known if this was intentional, or just the application of this perceived beauty.
Nowhere does the Golden Ratio find itself more at home than in acoustics and music. The famed Stradivari even used the ratio in the design of his masterpiece violins. From the Greeks, to the great cathedral builders, to modern studio designers, the ideal acoustic properties of the ratio have become known as ‘Golden Proportion Rooms.’
Speaker designers use this Golden Proportion for the same reasons, the natural reduction of standing waves. The ratio is such that, no matter the size of the wave at creation, it cannot reflect off one wall, and then reflect off an adjacent wall while maintaining cohesive phase properties—it falls apart. Many experts believe that this ‘falling apart’ is what we humans perceive as the beauty in the sound, and why a room built to the Golden Proportion, ‘sounds’ better than one that is not.
It is important to understand that Phi, the Golden Ratio, is not just fodder for books like “The DiVinci Code,” it possesses natural attraction for humans, certainly in the eye and ear of the beholder. While it is not a ‘cure all’ it is a valuable tool for experts in fields where art, acoustics, and structure come together. Home theater installation is such a field.
Maybe you’ve never heard of the Golden Ratio, but the experts at Hooked Up Installs have. This is just one of many tools in their arsenal that they use to deliver the best looking, best sounding home theater installations. It is time for your home theater, contact Hooked Up Installs today.
