Why is acoustic foam so expensive

As sound waves reflect best of a flat, smooth surface, the purpose of acoustic foam is to break this surface up. This causes the sound waves to dissipate in the form of heat. Acoustic foam is typically made of polyurethane foam , but can also be made of melamine foam. The market is much smaller than with other things, as not as many people decide to use acoustic foam in their homes. Typically usage would be confined to musicians and home theater enthusiasts. Doing research will allow you to find the best prices, which will most likely be online.

Remember though that comparatively acoustic foam is quite an expensive product, so be prepared to pay out if you want some in your home theater. So is it worth you spending out on acoustic foam for your home theater? Consider these following points to help you decide. In this post, I will share some insight as to why soundproofing cost can quickly add up, and what you can do to soundproof on a budget instead. I am an Affiliate for Amazon and others , which means I may make a commission if you purchase something through the links here.

Learn more here. You can find dozens of soundproofing materials in the market such as acoustic foam, acoustic panels, acoustic fabrics, soundproof doors and windows, decoupling products etc. All of these, to some extent, help you to get rid of the excessive noise or to prevent room-to-room sound transmission. The ones that have been most suitable and efficient for me are described below though opinions may differ from person to person.

MLV or Mass Loaded Vinyl is a dense, flexible and rubber like material which acts as a noise barrier. It minimises the sound, eliminates vibration and can cover any surface easily. They come in so many different patterns and colours that they serve a dual purpose — soundproofing plus decoration. They are suitable for classrooms, cinemas or areas meant for entertainment, and it is not uncommon to find them hanging on walls or ceilings like a acoustic cloud for both decorative and functional purposes.

In your home, you can use it in a variety places, such as your drumming studio , utility close t and many more. Acoustic fabrics are a bit thicker and heavier than normal fabrics and used to make blackout curtains, studio blankets as well as soundproof curtains. I would suggest you to use double paned glass windows along with the such fabrics for better effect. If you do not have such kind of windows in your home, you can consider installing noise-blocking window film.

It is easy and pretty cheap to do so. I mostly use cheap ones though. This is the price that you have to spend for great quality ones, and it can get higher with better quality. Now you may ask, what makes them so expensive? The simple answer is that it is a product in demand and having a small market with not many competitors.

Acoustic foam is usually made from polyurethane foam melamine foam can also be used. While you may think that these raw materials are not so costly, why is the end product so differently priced then? Acoustic panels and foams are made in a particular way that drives up the cost of production. The process itself may not be very expensive but it is very complex as compared to manufacturing of regular foam.

Obviously, you have to put some extra efforts to create foam that is able to reduce echo and reverberation. The machinery used in the process is are custom made, plus the transportation of acoustic foams is also a bit costlier. By catering to this specific high spending niche, producers know that they can get away with pricing the products on the high side too. But before spending your hard earned money as did by one of my close friends , you should know that acoustic foams can only absorb high frequency sounds.

You should not consider them if you want to block out bass. And if you want a long term solution, my suggestion would be to go for professional acoustic panels. And sometimes, when you feel the need of soundproofing years after your house is built, soundproofing can also involve rebuilding of your walls which is obviously very expensive.

With more sound, you may need to make structural changes and use more better materials, ultimately increasing the budget required to improve noise reduction. To soundproof individual areas of your room, here are a few guidelines and recommended soundproofing materials that are reasonably priced and can be reused around the house easily.

You can find lots of different colors and functionality across their products. Highly effective and I strongly recommend starting with this model. You might wanna try hangining up heavy fabric of some sort, like drape material. This stuff isn't going to stop those bass frequencies, but it absorbs enough of the high stuff to make the room sound less reverby. I've probably spent as much on foam as some spend on cables, but I can easily hear the difference foam makes, whereas I can't with cables.

Plus, it just looks damn cool. Oh oh, Nathan you can't hear the difference between cables? You cannot have spent enough money on them! Seriously though, try some silver ic's ala chris vanhaus and I'll bet you change your mind. I certainly did. Rob Babcock Volunteer Posts: I suppose part of the cost of the foam for acoustics is due to the fact that it's a very specialized product with a relatively limited market. The cost of production and developement and any profits must be spread out over a smaller amount of product.

It may seem like there'd be a lot of it sold, but I would imagine that for every square foot of foam sold there's probably a thousand yards of carpet, etc.

I have seen some places with some decent prices on foam, some of them mentioned on this site. I'm in the same boat as you are, ma I'm working on the room my second system resides in, and being a small room, it's gonna need a lot of absorption to tame reflections and slap echoes. Still, I want good sound. One thing you might try is some DIY fiberglass absorption panels. The Klone-audio. Tonto Yoder Full Member Posts: In his main listening room, his treatment was partially strategically-placed fiberglass insulation.

I always wondered if Room Tunes were just Pink- Panther-in-a-bag i. This doesn't sound too expensive to me but I don't know how you would feel about it. Part of the high expense might be the fact that the stuff is supposed to be flame resistant.

Sound Quality The beauty of acoustic foam is that it can improve sound quality so that listeners only hear what they really want to. Killing Echoes and Reverberation Any echoes or reverberation inside a room can ruin all of the good work done by a sound setup. Cheap vs Expensive Acoustic Foam: How to Shop A simple search online is going to show acoustic foam in many different price ranges. Dimensions Matter Acoustic foam usually comes in certain dimensions, so pay close attention to them before buying.

All of a sudden, a great deal turns into an average or even below average deal. User Reviews Online resources make shopping for anything so much easier these days with online reviews. The quantity of reviews also shows just how long they have been in business.

Alternatives to Acoustic Foam If it seems like cheap and expensive acoustic foam is not doing the trick, there are some alternatives for people to consider. Moving Blankets They might not be as aesthetically pleasing as acoustic foam, but moving blankets Amazon are a very cheap alternative worth exploring. Mass Loaded Vinyl Mass-loaded vinyl Amazon is a fairly expensive solution, directly compared to acoustic foam. Any Cons to Acoustic Foam?

Fire Risk Acoustic foam of just about any quality is treated so that they can fight against fires and slow down the spread as much as possible. The rise of shopping online has made acoustic foam much more attainable than ever before. Share this: Twitter Facebook. Like this: Like Loading Continue Reading. This website uses cookies to improve your experience.

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