Technical Resources

Where sound problems come from

Almost every room complaint comes down to one of three things: echo that makes speech hard to follow, harshness that makes a room tiring to be in, or boomy bass that swallows music and film sound. Each one has a different fix, which is why buying panels before understanding the problem so often disappoints.

Where treatment goes first

• The side walls and ceiling around the main listening or working position — this is where the biggest improvement per panel comes from.
• The corners of the room, for bass problems.
• Large bare walls that face each other, which cause flutter and echo.
• Behind and around the main seating area.

How much is enough

A useful rule of thumb: covering roughly a fifth to a quarter of the wall and ceiling area is enough for most critical rooms, and far less is needed for an office or meeting room. More is not always better — a room with too much absorption feels dead and unpleasant to spend time in.

Deep panels versus thin panels

Thin foam mainly affects the high, crisp part of sound and does almost nothing for boominess. Deeper panels, corner columns and panels hung away from the wall reach further down and fix problems thin products cannot. If a room sounds boomy, thin tiles will not help — that is a job for deeper treatment.

Questions worth asking any supplier

• Has anyone actually looked at my room, or is this a generic recommendation?
• Will this product help with my specific problem — echo, harshness or boom?
• Is there real test data behind the product, and can I see it?
• What is the fire rating of the finished product?
• What happens if the result is not what was promised?