Acoustic Foam- Profiled or Flat?

Speaking of selecting the acoustic foam best suitable for your soundproofing necessities, a vital consideration is whether to use flat, plain faced foam or a profiled one. As we will see below, there are benefits and drawbacks to each.

What frequency?

One of the main differences between profiled and plain faced foams is how they treat different frequencies. Low frequency waves are stronger and longer, and as a result need denser, more robust foam. Plain faced foam hasn’t had any of the actual foam removed, and as such their absorbing qualities are much better than their profiled counterparts. Therefore, flat and plain-faced foam is better suitable to soak up low frequencies.

Think about acoustic foam like a sponge and sound waves just like water. A bigger sponge can absorb more water!

On the contrary, sound waves come at shallow angles and to mid to high frequency waves tend to glance off plain faced foams, implying the sound is not absorbed but only reflected. The right placement of your floating floor can palliate this effect, though profiled foam will assist to catch and trap those pesky high frequency and shallow angle waves.

Beware of a common misconception that pervades while selecting profiled acoustic foams or soundproof panels, as there is no difference in soundproofing performance between wedged and pyramid shaped profiles!

What room?

We have had a look at the frequency of the acoustic waves that you want to treat. The space you want to soundproof will also impact what type of sound barrier is best suited for your requirements.

As mentioned before, the right placement of the acoustic foam can assist to palliate shallow angle waves glancing off your foam and being reflected across the room. The natural acoustics of the room should also be considered. If the natural acoustics are quite good, you may want to plump for profiled acoustic foams, and use it to tighten up the treatment of mid to high frequencies and fine tune the acoustic response of the room, though you will also require a solution to deal with those long and strong bass notes.

On the contrary, if the natural acoustics of your room are quite bad, plain-faced foam will provide you that additional bit of muscle to properly handle the treatment and absorption of incident acoustic waves for the desired soundproofing effect. Think again about the sponge. A denser sponge absorbs more water.

So which type of foam to use?

In respect to cosmetics, some people favor profiled foam in respect to the blank plain-faced foam. Nonetheless, in respect to performance, the best solution is possibly a blend of both plain-faced and profiled acoustic foams. With advice on installation from an experienced soundproofing professional, you can fine tune your solution using a blend of flat, plain-faced and profiled foams to deal with a wide range of frequencies for various applications.

Since 1998, O’Neill Engineered Systems has been specializing in the custom design and installation of noise control products and systems to help you control noise. We can provide on-site acoustic analysis,