Soundproofing vs sound absorbing – explaining the difference

Posted by AcousticalSurfaces on 12/28/2023 10:23 am

From corporate offices to recording studios, acoustics play a pivotal role in people’s experiences. Too much noise in the wrong setting creates distractions, while poor audio quality can hamper the clarity of the sound—whether through echoes or reverberations. Hence the need for designer-friendly soundproofing and sound absorbing materials. Yet when seeking audio solutions, it’s common to not know the difference between these two terms. Is there a difference after all? Yes. And if you mix them up, you may end up with the wrong sound treatment for your goals. With that in mind, let’s clarify the differences between soundproofing vs sound absorbing. We’ll also discuss some tried and true acoustic treatment options from both categories.

Key Differences Between Soundproofing and Sound Absorbing

Soundproofing is designed to prevent sound from entering or leaving a space by blocking sound transmission with dense, heavy materials, making it ideal for environments where sound leakage is a concern. On the other hand, sound absorption aims to improve the acoustic quality within a space by reducing echo and reverberation, using light, porous materials to trap and convert sound waves. While soundproofing focuses on isolation, sound absorption enhances the internal acoustic environment, each serving different purposes in noise control.

Purpose – Soundproofing blocks sound from entering or exiting a space, while sound absorption aims to optimize the acoustic quality within a space.
Materials – A soundproofing material uses mass and density to block sound. Sound-absorbing materials, on the other hand, are soft and porous.
Installation – Whether you need sound absorption, soundproofing, or both, it’s a good idea to have your solutions installed by a sound specialist. This way, they can supervise the placement and installation of your acoustic treatment. That said, sound-absorbing solutions are often easier to install DIY. That’s because their treatments can be set up inside a room, rather than within the interior of its walls, ceilings, or floors.
Cost – The cost of acoustic panels vs soundproofing treatments depends on the size, purpose, and layout of your space. But in general, sound absorption treatments are more affordable than soundproofing projects.

What is Soundproofing?

Soundproofing is the process of using dense materials to contain or block sound waves so that they don’t enter or exit a space. Soundproofing is the go-to solution in the following scenarios:

You want to keep business conversations in your conference room confidential.
You don’t want to be subjected to the noise of construction happening outside your office building.
You want your classrooms to be free of distractions from chatty students outside.

By blocking unwanted sound, soundproofing solutions can enhance the peace, privacy, and productivity of people who engage in your space.

How Does Soundproofing Work?

Soundproofing solutions block sound by creating a barrier of dense mass between one area and the next. To clarify, let’s examine the components involved in this process:

Mass – One of the popular soundproofing methods is to add mass to the walls, ceilings, and floors. Heavy materials, such as brick or concrete, can do the trick. Their heavy mass makes it much harder for sound to travel from one room to the next.
Density – Density refers to the amount of mass packed into a specific volume of space. Increasing the density of a room’s surrounding materials can also provide soundproofing, even if the materials aren’t very thick. Some high-density materials are lead, rubber, and certain types of foam.
Sealing – If a room’s walls, windows, or doors have any gaps or cracks in them, it can allow sound waves to escape. By sealing these gaps, you can prevent sound leakage and contain the sound with much greater success. Sealants, weatherstripping, and door sweeps are just a few examples of treatments that can assist with this process.
Isolation - or separate layers of mass are needed, dependent on severity of sound, to mitigate vibrational transfer of soundwaves through mass. Harmonic frequencies/very low frequencies/very loud dB can travel through mass as if it isn't there, via vibration. The isolation of mass layers greatly reduces vibrational potential through said mass.

Depending on your space, you may need to employ a combination of these elements to achieve your desired results. If you want to kickstart soundproofing project with the right acoustic panel design and treatments, we suggest the following products:

Common Applications of Soundproofing

Soundproofing is beneficial in many types of spaces, including:

Recording studio – Unsurprisingly, recording music can produce a lot of sound. Soundproofing can prevent these production sounds from leaking outside the studio. It can also ensure that external noises don’t bleed into studio recordings.
Home theaters – A home theater is an awesome place to watch movies and TV shows. By containing sound with soundproofing treatments, you can watch the big screen with the volume on full blast. You can also prevent external audio distractions from disrupting your viewing experience.
Conference rooms – Important business deals often take place in conference rooms. Soundproofing can limit the noise pollution in these spaces, allowing occupants to stay focused and safeguard the privacy of their discussions.

What is Sound Absorption?

While the purpose of soundproofing is to block sound, sound absorption’s purpose is to improve the acoustic quality within a space. Sound absorption treatments achieve this goal by:

Dampening the intensity of sound waves
Preventing sound waves from reflecting off hard surfaces
Mitigating their resulting echoes and reverberations
Balancing sound distribution throughout a space

As such, the right sound absorption treatments can reduce a room or building’s background noise, improve its occupants’ speech clarity, and enhance its overall auditory experience.

How Does Sound Absorbing Work?

While soundproofing products use dense, heavy materials, sound absorption treatments are typically made of soft, porous materials, such as foam or fabric. These materials trap sound waves in their microscopic openings, similar to the way that a sponge traps water. Once sound waves have penetrated absorbent material, their energy converts into heat. After the sound waves are absorbed by the material, they’re unable to bounce away to another surface. In turn, the room’s echo and reverberation are greatly reduced, leading to a quieter environment. If you’re looking for high-quality sound absorbing material, here are a few we recommend:

Common Applications of Sound Absorbing Treatments

Many types of buildings can benefit from sound absorption. Here are just a few examples:

Restaurants – From clinking cutlery to clamorous conversations, restaurants can be quite noisy. Without adequate sound absorption, this noise can bounce around continuously and create auditory chaos. Fortunately, some strategically placed absorber acoustic treatment can streamline the sound and enhance the dining experience for everyone involved.
Open offices – Like restaurants, open offices can be busy spaces. With so many meetings and phone calls taking place, sound absorbers can help promote a peaceful work environment that facilitates focus and productivity.
Concert halls – The acoustical quality of concert halls is very important. After all, professional musicians work tirelessly on their craft to put on flawless performances. Sound absorption treatments can enhance the clarity and balance of sound within these types of spaces.

When to Combine Soundproofing and Sound Absorbing Treatments

In many cases, you may want to use a mixture of soundproofing and sound-absorbing solutions. Both can come in handy if you have a room that requires high-quality acoustics, along with sound containment. Just keep in mind that striking the balance between soundproofing and sound absorbing panels can be tricky without the guidance of a sound specialist.

Solve Your Sound Issues With Acoustical Surfaces

In summary, soundproofing and sound absorbing are two different, but complementary, processes. No matter which type of treatment you need, the sound experts at Acoustical Surfaces are happy to help. Once we understand your goals, we can assess your space, map out how sound moves within it, and suggest the best solutions. Ready to get started? Reach out to the Acoustical Surfaces team today. With over 35 years of experience, our experts can provide you with unique and tailored solutions. Sources:

Science World. Sound.https://www.scienceworld.ca/resource/sound/
NIH. Basics of Sound, the Ear, and Hearing. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK207834/

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