Using Sound Panels Correctly

Before deciding to invest in sound panels, you must first determine what type of noise control you are hoping to achieve.  If you would like to try and soundproof a room by blocking sound out or in (acoustical isolation) then sound panels are not going to give you the results you are looking for.  Sound blocking (acoustical isolation) requires a specific type of construction of the walls in your room to eliminate the transmission of sound from one room to another.  See our article on soundproofing a room for more information.  However, if you would like to improve the quality of sound in your room (for example a recording studio, home theater, or auditorium) by reducing the amount of echo, reverberations, and ringing, sound panels do an excellent job.  There are a number of different styles of sound panels ranging from simple foam tiles, to custom made professional sound panels designed to absorb the frequencies you have trouble with.

Choosing The Right Sound Panels

With all of the sound panels on the market, it can be difficult to determine which panel will work best in your space, while staying in your budget.  In order to help consumers compare sound panels, there is a metric (similar to the “R” value of insulation”) called the noise reduction coefficient.  The scale of the noise reduction coefficient ranges from 0, which would be a perfectly reflective material, and 1 which represents a panel with 100% absorption.  The highest quality sound panels have an NRC of up to 1, meaning they absorb 100% of the sound that hits them.  High end acoustic panels can cost more than $100 per 2×2 section, however the sound improvement will be drastic compared a tile of sound dampening foam with an NRC of .7.

Selecting the correct thickness for your sound dampening needs is also important.  If you are building a vocal booth, or if you are trying to control the sound in a small auditorium, standard 2” panel will trap both mid and high frequencies (above 500Hz) effectively.  However if you have trouble controlling the sound of your subwoofers during a loud concert or similar, 4” panels are recommended to help trap the bass frequencies.

Installing Sound Panels

Most sound panels are delivered with fastening hardware such as clips or hangers to attach them to the walls, some just use silicone or adhesive.  How you fasten your panels to the wall is not as important as where you place them.  Although the sheer act of covering ample square footage of your walls with sound panels will dramatically improve your results, there are a few tips to get the most out of your sound dampening efforts.

• Sound panels are much more effective when used in the corners of rooms.  If you have a limited budget and want to get the most reduction out of your acoustic panels, line each side of the corners in the room.
• Try to imagine the first point of reflection from your speakers.  If your speakers face the back of the room hang your sound panels directly on the wall where the sound first hits.  If you have speakers on poles pointing in one particular spot, follow the line of the speaker’s cone and place a large panel on the wall in it’s path.
• While sitting in the center of where you want your sound to be the highest quality, have someone walk around the room with a mirror, or pane of glass.  Wherever you find that the sound reflection increases, place a panel in that position.
• Just using enough square feet of sound panels will give you decent results so make your room look good in the process of finding the reflection hot spots in the room.