Who has solved the HVAC air noise problem?


I am in the redesign stage of a totally dedicated listening room which will inlcude tube amp, pre-amp and cd player. The reconstruction will include a flat ceiling and tons of sound isolation and insulation. The central air system for the house with constant air flow produces way too much background noise and hum through the vents. I want to add a separate dedicated a/c system for just this room (25Lx15W x 9.5H). I am looking for the advice of those who have managed to baffle internally in the ducts sufficiently to eliminate the air flow noise and machine hum, while still having an effective a/c system. I want an invisable a/c system with five overhead vents. Duct size should not be a problem as the walls will be at least 12" thick at one end. I presume that fiberglass or lined/insulated sheet metal with all surfaces covered are the way to go. BUT, I really don't know. What I know is that I want to be able to never hear the environment, only the music.

All thoughts welcome including my obvious need for more therapy.

Bill E.
lakefrontroad
Installing staggered baffles inside of your vents will help. This means extending a padded piece of plywood, or whatever, halfway into the duct then doing the same on the opposite side a foot or so further along. four flanges should do it. Also, flare the air exit so the register is (3 or 4 times) bigger than the main shaft. This slows down the air-stream and associated noise. Consult a pro for the nitty gritty...
Dweller,

I've done very similar baffling in hvac systems in a prior home to reduce air noise. The staggered baffles were metal disks with the centers cut out which slowed down the air in line ahead of the vents by a few feet. It reduced the noise enough that I could tolerate being in the room, but I wasn't looking for zero noise and can't remember how quiet it was.

Your solution sounds more effective. As to the flaring, it makes sense to me. I can't imagine that the loss of back pressure to the vents would have any effect since I'm only trying to balance one rooms vents.

Is there an excellent solution for dust management?

Best wishes,

Bill E.