The Importance of Acoustical Testing for Sound Treatment

The evaluation of any performance product is necessary to proving to wary consumers that it performs exactly the way it is advertised, and that people can depend on its performance. For some things, it’s simple enough to prove that a product works. Something like a balloon holding air can be tested easily. Other, non-tactile things require more testing and effort to prove their performance. Sound treatment products are one of these things, as we can’t see sound, and need to rely on technical performance values that are rooted in science to give us a basis for reference when comparing products.

Acoustical testing, performed by independent laboratories, is necessary to validate the performance of a deadening material. When assessed in a laboratory environment, the foam test generates comparable factors like noise reduction and sound transmission that can be applied across materials, for identifying what products address what frequencies and how well. A test sound at varying frequencies is played in rooms with and without the treatment materials, and levels of sound are recorded and contrasted to create the performance values consumers rely on.

It’s also important to perform periodical testing, since formula changes over time may impact performance results. Because sound is something we can’t see or touch, products may make claims stating that they can perform in ways they are incapable of, solely because the average person has no way to prove they will or won’t until they make the purchase. Acoustical testing is the best way to identify performance values in sound deadening products, so you can make a decision that’s right for you and your space.