The Best of Acoustics2

Noise Isolation vs Sound Absorption

What is Noise Isolation and Sound Absorption? And the common errors that occur in design that confuses the two!


What is Noise Isolation?
When sounds from an activity inside an enclosed space or a built habitat need to be contained within and not leak out, nor does the activity want to be disturbed by external noises, then what we need is Noise Isolation

What is Sound Absorption?
When the sounds from an activity inside need to be free of echoes or reverberation and emanate a pleasant ambience within then what that space needs is Sound Absorption.

The design approach to Noise Isolation and Sound Absorption is totally different. Hence the common error comes in here!

Noise Isolation | Sound Insulation |Sound Proofing

1 Airtightness

Airtightness means that space has to be fully enclosed and airtight since airborne sound travels through a medium, air. Hence a Noise Insolated space has to be air-conditioned.


2 Mass | Density

Only airtightness is not enough. In an AC vehicle you can still hear the honking of loud horns. Which means such loud horns vibrate the windows which vibrates the air within and we hear. So you need mass or density in enclosing the space. Suppose the same window was a thick, heavy, bulletproof window then it would resist the vibration of the loud horn outside

At Anutone we have Mat BSB and Tufbloc.
Two high density products that enable Noise Isolation.

3 Resilient | Damping

Yet again you need the enclosure to be not rigid but resilient. Hence dampness has to be built into how the noise isolating acoustical panels are installed.

However, Noise Isolation is not so simple as 1, 2, 3 and you need to ensure openings like doors, windows, HVAC ducts and conduit penetrations are fully blocked for it to be effective.


Sound Absorption | Echo Control

Sound Absorption is just the opposite approach as in you need lightweight, porous materials on available wall and ceiling surfaces to absorb the sound waves and bring down Reverb Time. Anutone has plenty of choices for Sound Absorption to suit your décor.

Do you need both Noise Isolation and Sound Absorption?

The bad news is yes but the good news is if you design for it initially the cost impact is much less. There are plenty of projects to prove this!

Forest Headquarters | Goa

Convention Centre | Digha


Once a building is ready, the floor plate anyways needs to be divided into useful spaces.

Think of sound proofing drywalls like Tufbloc. Then think of ceiling and wall finishes. Might as well go for acoustic finishes instead of just aesthetics. With this smart, intelligent approach, the acoustics gets built in automatically.


Something to think about during Self Quarantine?

Undisturbed video calling?

How about undisturbed WFH?

Pleasant Ambience?

Pristine movie watching?

So why not better quarantine and chill?

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