Article: The ultimate guide to better acoustics

18 avr. 2023acoustic

The ultimate guide to better acoustics

By Emilie Kristensen-McLachlan

Have you tried being in a room with poor acoustics? There’s an echo and it’s hard to concentrate on what’s being said. Maybe you’ve asked yourself before how you can get better acoustics. That’s exactly what this guide can help you with.

Poor acoustics is a massive problem when it comes to productivity. That’s why a quiet environment is an important factor at your place of work as well as in your own home. Better acoustics help increase productivity and focus.

What can improve acoustics?

You don’t have to completely renovate your home or office to have better acoustics. In fact you can get a better indoor environment with a few simple tools. Here are 6 ideas on how you can improve the acoustics in your space.

1. Rugs and carpets

Stone acoustic rug from Arturel

When you want to improve your acoustics it’s important to find out where the noise is coming from and whether you have objects that can absorb the sound. One of the simple ways of doing this is by laying down carpet or rugs or including more pillows, blankets and other soft textiles in the room.

Read - Top 5 Benefits of Acoustic Rugs for Homes and Offices

2. Curtains

Multi function curtain from Jotex

Multi functional curtain from Jotex

Do your windows have curtains? If not this is an easy, quick and beautiful way to reduce noise. Maybe you already have blinds but you can easily combine curtains with what you already have. Perhaps it even makes sense in your interior to use curtains in the middle of the room or along a wall or mirror? Be creative and search on for example Pinterest for different ways to use curtains here.

3. Acoustic panels

Arturel sells acoustic artworks that can be put together as acoustic panels

You’ll find a range of acoustic panels on the market that you can use in your space with poor acoustics. You can get acoustic panels for walls and ceilings so the big question is what kind fits in with your interior. Some are better in offices while others work better in a home.

Read - Need to Know About Acoustic Panels

4. Shelves and storage

Montana bookcase from Montana Furniture

Furniture like bookcases can help fill out a space - also when it comes to acoustics. Perhaps you have a large empty surface where you can add a storage unit that can both be used as part of your space and as storage as well as help improve poor acoustics.

5. Soft furnishings

Otis armchair designed by Cathrine Rudolph seen at Sofacompany

Soft furniture like chairs and sofas have the same effect as rugs, carpets and curtains - and on top of that they’re nice to sit in. Perhaps your office could use a corner with chairs for meetings or maybe there’s space for a comfy chair in your living room? It can make a massive difference at home as well as in the office.

6. Acoustic artwork

The artworks from Arturel can be combined to create a bigger art piece

It’s been proven that art makes people happier so why not combine this with better acoustics? Acoustic artwork is artwork for your wall made from sound absorbing materials. At Arturel our artworks are made in several layers of felt which creates a sculptural look while also improving the acoustics. This is part of creating a better indoor environment with improved acoustics in any room.

If you can’t improve the acoustics of your room by adding some of the first 5 ideas you can consider integrating acoustic art made from sound absorbing materials. Sound isn’t an easy thing to work with and that’s why Arturel’s acoustic artworks are modular which makes it easy for you to experiment with the placement in your space.

How do I get better acoustics?

The ideas above are good ways of getting started to get better acoustics. But besides the materials you need to do a few other things before you invest in and place your sound absorbing materials.

Read - Understanding echoes and room acoustics

Placement

Consider your placement. You need to make sure that for example your acoustic artwork, your textiles or furniture are close to where the sound and noise is coming from.

Environment

You can have poor acoustics in all kinds of rooms and if you want to improve the acoustics in rooms like kitchens and bathrooms you need to make sure that they can last in a wet and moist environment. Arturel’s artworks are exclusively made from closed PET-fibers and therefore they can be used in kitchens and bathrooms without damaging the pieces.

Size

The size of the sound absorbing material matters. To see a sizeable change in noise management you need to make sure to have enough textile, big enough furniture or artwork to reduce the noise. When it comes to Arturel’s acoustic art, we recommend at least two pieces depending on the space you have. Some buy 4, 6 or even 10 artworks to reduce noise in the kitchen, living room or meeting room.

Feel the difference with better acoustics

At Arturel, we believe in our product and that’s why we have 30 days full refund on all of our products. Our acoustic felt is made from recycled PET where 90% is made from ocean plastics. So you’ll do something worthwhile for your space and the planet at the same time.

Good acoustics are not a luxury, but a prerequisite for well-being, focus, and productivity.

From open-plan offices to modern homes with concrete, glass, and steel, most contemporary spaces are designed with aesthetics in mind but without considering how sound behaves. The result is noise that lingers, speech that becomes unclear, and a soundscape that causes stress rather than comfort – as discussed in our feature on decorative soundproofing panel ideas.

At Arturel, we believe that the conversation about acoustics deserves a scientific foundation. That means going beyond surface-level claims and instead explaining the physics of how sound waves interact with materials, how energy is transformed when waves hit porous structures, and why different frequencies demand different approaches.

Diagram showing sound wave reflection, transmission, and absorption that explains how acoustic panels work.

How do acoustic panels work?

Acoustic panels work by turning sound energy into heat through microscopic friction inside the material.

When a sound wave travels through air, it behaves as a pressure fluctuation. Upon reaching a surface, three things can happen:

1. Reflection – Part of the wave bounces back into the room. This causes echoes and reverberation, which shape how long sound lingers in a space.

2. Transmission – Part of the wave passes through the material. This is the pathway for noise traveling between rooms or floors.

3. Absorption – Part of the wave enters the material and loses energy. In porous or fibrous structures, this energy is converted into heat through microscopic friction, reducing the overall sound level.

Absorption occurs when the pressure wave enters a porous or fibrous structure. As air particles are forced through the small gaps between fibers, their kinetic energy is transformed into heat by viscous friction. A process too small to be felt as warmth, but powerful enough to reduce the strength of the sound.

The efficiency of absorption depends strongly on the relationship between frequency and material thickness. Low-frequency sound waves have long wavelengths and require thicker or denser structures to be effectively dampened, while high frequencies with short wavelengths can be absorbed by thinner materials. This is why an acoustic panel that performs well in the speech range of 500–2000 Hz might need additional thickness to tackle the rumble of ventilation systems or bass-heavy environments.

Research on natural fibre composites confirms this principle. Studies show that fibres such as kenaf, hemp, and wool have excellent porosity and tortuosity, making them effective at dissipating sound energy while remaining lightweight and sustainable. Their fibrous network structure mimics what engineers also achieve with advanced synthetic materials:

A labyrinth that forces sound waves to lose energy as they travel through.

At Arturel, we apply the same principles but combine them with circular design. Our Kvadrat series, for example, is made from upcycled textile waste – giving discarded wool a second life as a highly effective absorber. By engineering fibre density and thickness, we ensure that each panel not only performs acoustically but also tells a story of material innovation. The same tangled fibre structures that make textiles soft and flexible also make them highly efficient at reducing reverberation.

In essence, acoustic panels are not passive decorations. They are precisely engineered systems that balance material choice, thickness, and fibre architecture to shape how sound behaves in a room.

Graph showing how Arturel acoustic panels absorb sound at different frequencies compared to other brands.

What is NRC and why does it matter?

Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) is a single-number rating that describes how effectively a material absorbs sound, expressed on a scale from 0.0 to 1.0.

An NRC of 0.0 means no absorption (the panel reflects all sound), while an NRC of 1.0 means total absorption. In practice, most acoustic materials fall between 0.3 and 0.95, depending on their composition and thickness. This rating is especially useful for designers and architects because it condenses complex frequency data into a simple number that can guide material selection.

The NRC value is determined through standardized laboratory tests across the frequency range of 250–2000 Hz, as described in acoustic testing standards. This range covers the majority of human speech and everyday noise. The result is an average absorption coefficient across these bands. For example, if a panel is rated NRC 0.85, it means the surface absorbs around 85% of the incident sound energy within that range – dramatically reducing reverberation and improving clarity.

However, one limitation of NRC is that it provides only a single average, while real-world performance often varies across frequencies. Two materials can both have NRC 0.80 but behave very differently. One might absorb low frequencies poorly but excel at high frequencies, while another has a more balanced profile. That distinction can be critical when designing offices, restaurants, or performance spaces where different types of noise dominate.

Scientific research on sandwich and microperforated panel structures highlights how absorption performance can be fine-tuned across frequencies. These studies demonstrate that by adjusting cavity depth, perforation diameter, or layer composition, engineers can shift absorption peaks and create materials that target specific noise problems.

Our PET panels, for example, are available in both 9 mm and 24 mm thicknesses. While the thinner version provides reliable absorption in the mid- and high-frequency ranges typical of office noise, the thicker variant achieves stronger performance across the lower speech and HVAC frequency bands. For architects and designers, this means NRC is not just a number, but it is a decision tool that must be interpreted in relation to the soundscape of each project.

In short, NRC matters because it bridges laboratory science and real-world acoustics, providing a simple rating that hides a complex balance of physics, materials, and design choices.

Hands assembling multi-layer acoustic panels designed for sound absorption inside a room.

Sound absorption vs. soundproofing

Sound absorption improves the sound quality inside a room, while soundproofing blocks sound from entering or leaving it. Although the terms are often used interchangeably, they describe very different acoustic mechanisms and lead to very different design outcomes.

Absorption is about managing what happens to sound energy after it is generated in a room. Acoustic panels absorb a portion of the sound waves that strike them, preventing repeated reflections and reducing reverberation time. The result is a calmer, clearer acoustic environment where speech is easier to understand and background noise feels less fatiguing.

Soundproofing, on the other hand, addresses transmission by reventing sound from passing through walls, floors, or ceilings. This requires mass, airtight construction, and often multiple layers of dense materials. A lightweight wall with decorative acoustic panels may reduce echo inside the room, but it will not stop traffic noise or a loud neighbor from being heard. To achieve that, engineers rely on barrier design, heavy partitions, and resilient connections that break vibration paths.

Scientific research underlines this distinction. Studies on acoustic metamaterial sandwich panels show how advanced multi-layered systems can achieve high sound transmission loss by combining resonant elements with traditional mass-barrier approaches. These structures are optimized to block specific frequency ranges, demonstrating how soundproofing is an engineering problem of controlling vibration and transmission paths, not surface absorption.

For end-users, the key is setting the right expectations. Acoustic panels are not ‘miracle modules’ that make noise vanish – as we also explain in our article on do soundproofing panels work. Instead, they transform the experience of sound within a room by reducing harsh reflections, making speech more intelligible, and lowering the mental load of constant background noise. In many cases, panels form part of a larger strategy:

Absorption for comfort, soundproofing for isolation.

Our panels are designed for absorption, not soundproofing in its technical sense, and we emphasize the wellbeing benefits that come from better room acoustics.

Acoustic materials and advanced panel design

The design of acoustic materials determines how effectively panels can control sound, from simple porous fibers to advanced periodic structures and resonant metamaterials. Researchers have long investigated how different material architectures influence absorption and transmission loss, showing that the internal geometry can be just as important as the raw material itself.

Close-up of porous PET fiber structure used in Arturel acoustic panels to absorb and dissipate sound.

One approach is the use of periodic structures, where panels are engineered with repeating patterns that scatter and redirect sound waves. Inspired by natural systems, these designs can target specific frequency bands, creating highly efficient absorption or insulation at narrow ranges. Bioinspired periodic panels show how structural optimization can increase insulation without necessarily adding bulk, making them an attractive field of research for architectural acoustics. Similarly, sonic crystals – arrays of regularly spaced elements – can create “band gaps” where certain frequencies are blocked, a principle borrowed from physics and adapted to acoustics.

Another well-established method is the use of porous materials, which dissipate sound energy by converting it into heat through friction within microscopic pores. Studies confirm that porous absorbers and double-panel configurations are proven to balance absorption efficiency and weight, highlighting how such materials can dramatically improve insulation when combined with structural layers, balancing lightweight design with effective absorption. These findings connect laboratory experiments to real-world product development, showing that porosity remains one of the most practical solutions for broad-spectrum absorption.

In practice, however, not every innovation translates smoothly into commercial or architectural use. Metamaterials and resonant systems can offer impressive performance in controlled laboratory conditions, but they are often complex, costly to produce, and optimized for narrow frequency bands.

That is why at Arturel we rely on engineered porous PET panels, a material that combines sustainability with acoustic effectiveness. Made from recycled polyester, our panels take advantage of porosity at the fiber level to provide broad, reliable absorption without the need for highly specialized designs. Ensuring that advanced acoustic science is applied in a way that makes sense for everyday spaces.

Acoustics in practice by changing the soundscape

The way we experience sound in a room is less about absolute silence and more about clarity and balance. Acoustic treatment changes the soundscape by shaping reverberation time, frequency response, and speech intelligibility – not by eliminating sound.

Arturel acoustic panels installed in office space to reduce RT60 and balance speech frequencies for clarity.

A central parameter is RT60, the time it takes for sound to decay by 60 decibels after the source stops. In practical terms, RT60 determines whether a meeting room feels crisp and intelligible or muddy and exhausting. Shorter reverberation improves clarity for speech, while longer reverberation can enrich music but quickly becomes disruptive in workspaces. Architects and acoustic engineers often use RT60 as the baseline metric for evaluating room quality, since it reflects the cumulative effect of absorption, reflection, and diffusion.

Equally important is the frequency balance. Acoustic panels are not designed to remove all sound but to manage how different frequencies behave. For example, low frequencies tend to linger, while high frequencies are more easily absorbed. Effective treatment ensures that no part of the spectrum dominates, creating a balanced and comfortable environment. A snackable fact to keep in mind:

Around 50% of speech energy lies between 500 and 2000 Hz, which explains why mid-frequency absorption is so critical for intelligibility.

In real-world projects, mistakes often stem from oversimplifying acoustics. The first is using too few panels. One or two absorbers in a large office will barely shift RT60. Too few panels or poor placement often leads to ineffective results – something we outlined in our guide on 7 signs your home has bad acoustics.

The second is placing panels incorrectly. Positioning absorbers only on one wall or too high above conversation zones can leave critical reflections untouched. Optimal layouts consider both coverage and distribution, targeting reflection points where sound bounces directly between people.

Sustainable materials and design in Arturel acoustic panels

At Arturel, acoustic performance is inseparable from material choice, sustainability, and design. Our panels are engineered to combine scientific effectiveness with environmental responsibility – without compromise.

Acoustic art panels crafted from upcycled Danish Royal Guard uniforms, showcasing sustainable design.

The foundation is a porous PET felt, made from 75% ocean-bound plastic. From an acoustic perspective, the porosity of the fibers enables sound energy to dissipate as heat. By aligning material science with waste reduction. This dual benefit means every panel contributes to both a healthier soundscape and a healthier planet.

Alongside PET, Arturel collaborates with Kvadrat to upcycle textile waste into acoustic solutions. The heterogeneous fiber structures create micro-channels that enhance absorption across a broad frequency range. In practice, this means panels derived from post-consumer textiles achieve measurable improvements in mid- and high-frequency absorption – precisely where speech clarity is most needed.

Performance is validated with hard data and Arturel panels consistently achieve an NRC of 0.85, which corresponds to absorbing 85% of incident sound energy in the measured spectrum. This level of absorption ensures reliable performance across offices, meeting rooms, and open workspaces where control of reverberation time is critical.

Finally, acoustic performance and sustainability are matched by aesthetic versatility. Our designs – such as Wave, Arch, and Stone – are inspired by natural forms, allowing architects and clients to integrate acoustic treatment as a visible part of interior design rather than a hidden technical fix. These shapes create diffusion as well as absorption, offering both functional and visual impact.

Frequently asked questions about acoustic panels

How many acoustic panels do I need?

The number depends on room size, shape, and surface materials. As a rule of thumb, covering 20–30% of the wall surface in offices or classrooms brings reverberation time (RT60) down to a comfortable level. Large or highly reflective rooms may need more coverage, often on both walls and ceilings, to reach balanced acoustics.

How effective are soundproof panels?

Most products marketed as “soundproof panels” are actually sound absorbers. They reduce echo and reverberation inside the room but do not block external sounds such as traffic or neighbors. True soundproofing requires heavy, airtight constructions like multi-layer walls or floating floors, not lightweight decorative panels.

How to improve acoustics in a large room?

Large rooms need distributed absorption. This is achieved by combining wall panels, ceiling baffles, and sometimes freestanding dividers to cover different reflection paths. Positioning panels at first reflection points (e.g., opposite speakers or meeting tables) is critical to achieve clarity across the whole space.

How is sound absorption different than light absorption?

Sound absorption happens when pressure waves move through a porous structure and lose energy as frictional heat, typically inside fibers or foams. Light absorption, in contrast, occurs when electromagnetic radiation is converted to heat at the surface of a material. The processes are analogous but occur through very different physical mechanisms.