Acoustic Panels

Acoustic Treatment FAQ

• Q: Where can I get Testing data for your products Acoustical Performance? (ASTM-C423)

  1. A:You can download those here:
     •ASTM-C423 Testing data for 1-Inch Acoustic Panel Products
     •ASTM-C423 Testing data for 2-Inch Acoustic Panel Products
     •ASTM-C423 Testing data for 4-Inch Bass Trap Products
     •ASTM-C423 Testing data for 6-Inch Bass Trap Products

• Q: What are acoustic panels used for?

  1. A: Sound panels are used to remove reverb and echo in any room. They provide excellent sound absorption at all high and mid frequencies. Sound absorption panels placed on the first reflection points in a listening room will greatly enhance the overall sound. Because in doing so you stop the sound waves from bouncing back and fourth, which in turn yields better stereo imaging and a greater depth of sound stage.

• Q: What’s the difference between an acoustic panel and a bass trap?

  1. A: Bass traps are thicker and denser versions of our acoustic panels which are designed to absorb bass frequencies down to 40 Hz . Acoustic panels are designed mostly to absorb high and mid frequencies (human voices, treble...) with some bass absorption (from 250 Hz to 4000 Hz). Acoustimacs bass traps absorb high frequencies just as well as our standard panels, except they have the added advantage of being able to absorb much more of the lower frequencies. Bass absorption panels such our Corner trap work best if placed in room corner. They help eliminate standing waves, dips and spikes that are notoriously prevalent in smaller rooms. So for example, if you notice that you have too much bass in one spot of the room, and very little in the sweet spot, you needs bass traps to calibrate the room lows and to give you as flat a low frequency as possible. Which results in tighter punchier bass that does not overwhelm the rest of the instruments and sounds equally good no matter where you sit in the room.

• Q: Can I use bass traps instead of acoustic panels?

  1. A: You sure can! Our bass traps offer broadband absorption (Highs, mids and lows). In fact Acoustimac’s PRO series room packages consist of all bass traps. Remember bass is the toughest frequency to control, so bass traps are a must. The more you deploy the better off you are, especially in smaller rooms where bass frequencies are a major problem.

• Q: Are sound panels or bass traps used for soundproofing?

  1.   A: No, they are not designed for that purpose. Please see our Soundproofing FAQ for details. Although they provide excellent sound absorption inside a room, they have no impact on the amount of sound transmitted through walls, windows and crevices. Acoustic panels are mainly used to condition sound in the room and make it more pleasant by reducing echoes, slap, reverb caused by sound waves reflecting on hard surfaces and parallel walls. Visit our Soundproofing FAQ for more detailed information about noise control.

• Q: How many acoustic panels and/or bass traps do I need to properly treat my space for echoes and reflection?

  1. A: It all depends on the total square footage of hard surfaces in a room. For optimum performance, the recommended minimum coverage is 25 to 30% of all hard surfaces. By providing us with the room’s measurements, we can calculate exactly how many panels you would need for your deployment scenario. Give us a call and we’ll walk you through the process. Click the above banner to use our acoustical coverage calculator. 

• Q: How are your panels and bass traps installed on walls?

  1. A: Acoustimac provides z-clips installation hardware with all of its acoustic panel and bass trap products. You attach two Z-Clips on the upper corners of the panel backing, about an inch or more from the edges using provided wood screws, be sure to orient the screw holes to the top. Then attach the remaining two Z-Clips to the wall with the screw holes oriented to the floor and be sure they are at the same level and are spaced the same as they are on the panel. Then you slide the clips on the panel over the clips on the wall and that’s it.

     Please view installation diagram below for standard acoustic panel or bass traps:Panel wall installation

     

• Q: How are acoustimacs sound panels rated?

  1. A: Panels are rated in NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) and our bass traps in Sabins (unit of measure of sound absorption in the inch-pound system). All of bass traps and panels are independently tested by Riverbank Acoustics. The higher the absorption # the better the panel is. This is important because it’s a very effective way to gauge panel performance when compared to other vendors or similar products in different thicknesses from the same vendor. Acoustimac panels and bass traps have some the best absorption coefficient in the industry.  

      

• Q: What is the difference between the acoustic core materials? (owens corning fiberglass, mineral wool and Eco core recycled insulation)

  1. A: They all provide excellent absorption, but we offer our customers the choice for different reasons. Here are the main varying features to each of our insulation types: -Owens Corning 703 and 705 - Acoustimac offers this insulation as a choice mostly because of popular demand. For decades, Owens Corning rigid fiberglass insulation has been the mainstay of the industry. -Mineral Wool 1260 and 1280 (Rockwool/ Roxul) - This insulation is our primary production insulation because it outperforms Owens Corning 703 in sound absorption and is more eco friendly than OC703. -Acoustimac Eco core Insulation (4Lb) - is the best sound insulation we have to offer in terms of performance. It outperforms them both and is much more durable and does not irritate skin like fiberglass does. Not to mention it’s made of 100% recycled materials and is completely biodegradable.

• Q: Do you make custom sizes?

  1. A: Custom Sizes is what we do best. And you'll be hard pressed to find anywhere else who can get them done sooner than us. We can make you panels in any size up to 48"x96". As long as the shapes are rectangles and squares. On ocassion we can make other geometrical shapes but those are determined on a case by case basis. Contact one of our experts to see if we can bring your idea to life. You can also order custom sizes online