What Is Acoustic Absorption?

Acoustic absorption is the process of reducing the intensity of sound waves as they pass through materials. This is how we keep concert halls from becoming echo chambers and ensure speech intelligibility in classrooms – by making sure that sound doesn’t reverberate too much. The best materials for sound absorption are soft and porous, with microscopic holes that trap sound energy like a sponge absorbs water. Natural and recycled materials are also very effective at absorbing sound, as are certain types of fabric and even some furniture.

The type of material you choose to absorb sound will depend on what kind of acoustic problems you have in your space. It’s important to consider not only the material’s acoustic rating, which is measured by its Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC), but also its size and thickness. For example, high-frequency sounds have a shorter wavelength and can be absorbed by thinner materials, while low-frequency sounds require thicker material to be absorbed effectively.

Creating Quiet Spaces: The Power of Acoustic Absorption

Our huge product catalog includes lots of sound-absorbing products that have been designed with specific acoustic requirements in mind. We have everything from acoustic wall panels and stretched fabric systems to acoustic ceiling systems that can solve an array of noise issues. Choosing the right absorption solutions can help with excessive noise in offices, poor speech intelligibility in classrooms, and reverberation in large spaces such as village halls.