ODDLAUG is the typically oblique name given to a new IKEA product that might prove to be of as much utility to audiophiles running loudspeaker systems as the KALLAX storage unit is to vinyl collectors.

ODDLAUG are interlocking sound absorbers that the Swedish furniture company claims “absorbs annoying sounds from chitter-chatter, the clattering of pots and pans in the kitchen or the action picture on TV”. We ask: could they also be deployed to tame a loudspeaker’s first reflections that would otherwise bounce off a hard wall or window? Perhaps.

Each circular panel measures 20cm across and is 1.5cm thick. We get 15 panels per pack. Price per pack? US$30, £15 or €25. ODDLAUG is already selling in the USA, the UK and here in Germany.

Notice how IKEA show a set of ODDLAUG hanging from a curtain rail? That’s because the recommended distance between their absorption panel set and the wall is 10cm. And even though IKEA also recommend that a minimum of four sets be hung (presumably for proper effectiveness), 4 x US$30 totals US$120; not an unreasonable amount of money to spend on a bit of experimentation. This morphs into an ultimately risk-free proposition when we consider IKEA’s super-generous return policy. The only thing would be ODDLAUG experimenters stand to lose is time.

IKEA’s ODDLAUG panels are both attractive and affordable. How often can we say that about room treatments?

Further information: IKEA