The Acoustics Studio
Acoustics you can work out — and hear.
What the ratings mean, what the rules ask for, and how much treatment a room actually needs — so you can specify with confidence.
Tools
Work it out
Room-acoustic design studio
Build your room surface by surface, set a target for its use, and enter your panel's tested αw — get the panel area, count and range to reach it.
Design a room →Interactive · SabineReverberation & panel calculator
Estimate a room's RT60 and the panel area needed to reach a target — using your panel's own tested αw.
Open the calculator →ReferenceAcoustics glossary
Plain-English definitions — αw, NRC, ISO 354, reverberation, Euroclass, BB93 and more.
Browse the glossary →Reference · SourcedReverberation targets by space
UK RT60 targets by room type — BB93, Approved Document E and BS 8233 — each figure quoted from its governing standard.
See the targets →Interactive explainers
See it, hear it, feel it.
Watch a room's echoes die
The same reflections, with and without absorption — the visual answer to “do panels actually work?”
Watch it →Interactive · Slat tunerFine slat or wide?
Drag the slat width and gap and watch the look change from a fine, crisp rhythm to a calm, contemporary one.
Tune the slats →Interactive · Proven vs promisedProven, not promised
Flip a marketing claim to the way it appears here — every figure against a named test report, or not at all.
See the difference →Guides
Understand the specification
Acoustic Comfort Standards for UK Buildings
The UK frameworks that specify acoustic comfort — BS 8233, BREEAM Hea 05, WELL, BB93, Approved Document E and HTM 08-01 — and where acoustic panels help.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Felt vs Mineral Wool: Which Backing Absorbs More?
Acoustic felt (recycled PET) vs mineral wool backing compared: which absorbs more, how depth and air gaps change it, and why the fire behaviour differs.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels Behind a TV: Do They Help the Sound?
Acoustic panels behind a TV absorb reflections off the wall to make dialogue clearer and frame the screen — but they don't soundproof the room. Here's how.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels for Open-Plan Offices
Open-plan office too noisy? Acoustic wood panels and ceiling rafts cut reverberation and the built-up hum, but real speech privacy needs the ABC approach.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels for Podcasts and Streaming Rooms
Acoustic panels for podcasts and streaming absorb the room reflections that make your voice sound distant, so the mic records a clean, dry, clearer voice.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels on Walls or the Ceiling: Where to Treat
Acoustic panels on the wall or ceiling? The ceiling is usually the largest free surface and an effective place to absorb sound; wall panels tame reflections.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels vs Acoustic Foam: Which Should You Use?
Acoustic panels vs acoustic foam compared: how each absorbs sound, how they wear and look, and why foam's fire class (Euroclass) matters before you buy.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic Panels vs Acoustic Plaster: How to Choose
Acoustic panels vs acoustic plaster compared for specifiers: finish, absorption route, cost, wet-trade install, demountability and reaction-to-fire class.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Acoustic panels vs curtains and rugs: what actually helps?
Curtains, rugs and soft furnishings do absorb sound, but acoustic panels give tested, targeted absorption. See how they compare, and why neither soundproofs.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-17Acoustic Panels vs Soundproofing: What's the Difference?
"Soundproofing panels" covers two products that do opposite jobs. Soundproofing blocks sound between rooms; acoustic panels absorb it inside one. How to tell which problem you have, and what actually fixes each.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Are Acoustic Panels Worth It? An Honest Verdict
Are acoustic panels worth it? Yes for cutting echo and reverberation inside a room, but not for blocking noise between rooms. An honest, tested-data verdict.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Are Acoustic Wood Panels a Fire Risk?
Are acoustic wood panels a fire risk? Timber is combustible, so reaction to fire is graded by Euroclass. Untreated wood is around Class D; treated rates higher.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12BB93: School Acoustics Requirements Explained
What Building Bulletin 93 requires for school acoustics in England: reverberation limits by room type, indoor noise levels, and where acoustic panels help.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Building Regulations Part E and Acoustic Panels
What Approved Document E (Part E) actually requires, and why acoustic wood panels do not meet its sound-insulation clauses but do help with reverberation.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Can You Cut Acoustic Slat Panels to Size?
Yes, acoustic slat panels can be cut to length and trimmed around sockets, switches and corners. Learn the tools, technique and how to seal a cut edge cleanly.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Can You Paint Acoustic Panels? The Honest Trade-off
Can you paint acoustic panels? You can usually finish the timber slats, but painting the porous felt backer clogs its pores and reduces sound absorption.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-14Cut-to-Size and Made-to-Measure Acoustic Panels
Acoustic slat panels can be cut to size on site or ordered made to measure. Learn factory cut-to-size vs on-site trimming, bespoke walls, and how cutting affects coverage.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Do Acoustic Panels Actually Work? The Evidence
Do acoustic panels actually work? Yes — they measurably cut reverberation and echo inside a room, predicted by Sabine and confirmed by testing. The proof.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Do Acoustic Panels Reduce Echo on Video Calls?
Acoustic panels reduce echo on video calls by absorbing the reflections your mic hears, so you sound closer and clearer on Zoom or Teams. Where to place them.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Do Acoustic Panels Stop Noise From Neighbours?
Do acoustic panels stop noise from neighbours? No — they absorb echo inside your own room. Blocking sound through a party wall needs mass and construction.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16Do I Need UKTR Due Diligence to Import a Pallet of Wall Panels?
If you import wall panels into the UK yourself — even one pallet — you are the operator under the UK Timber Regulation. What that means for a small retailer, and what changes if you buy from a UK supplier.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-17Do You Screw or Glue Acoustic Wall Panels?
Whether to screw or glue an acoustic wall panel depends on the panel's weight, the substrate and the manufacturer's own instruction. How to decide, and why the answer differs by product.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Euroclass Reaction to Fire Explained (and What B-s1,d0 Means)
What Euroclass reaction to fire means under BS EN 13501-1, what B-s1,d0 tells you, and how reaction to fire differs from fire resistance — in plain English.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-17Flat Acoustic Panels vs Slat Panels: What's the Practical Difference?
Flat, continuous-faced acoustic panels compared with slat panels: construction, installation and appearance. We supply the slat type. No acoustic figures are published for either.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12FSC Timber and Sustainable Acoustic Panels
How FSC chain-of-custody timber, recycled-PET felt backers and certificate-backed claims make acoustic panels sustainable and support BREEAM materials credits.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Home Office Acoustic Treatment: Panels, Placement & How Many
Treat a home office with acoustic panels — where to place them and how many you need. Absorption gives clearer calls and a calmer room; it isn't soundproofing.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Do Acoustic Panels Work? Absorption Explained
How do acoustic panels work? They absorb sound to cut reverberation and echo inside a room — but they don't soundproof or block noise between rooms. Here's why.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Long Do Acoustic Panels Last? Lifespan and Care
How long do acoustic wood panels last? In normal indoor use they are a long-life finish; light, damp and knocks age the timber, while the felt keeps working.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Many Acoustic Panels Do I Need? The Honest Answer
How many acoustic panels do you need? There is no fixed number — it is a calculation from your room's volume, target reverberation time and existing absorption.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Much Do Acoustic Panels Cost? The Real Drivers
How much do acoustic panels cost? The real drivers are the finish, backer, depth, fire class, coverage and fixing — judged as cost-to-outcome, not per panel.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Sound Absorption Is Tested: Reading an ISO 354 Report
How an ISO 354 sound absorption test works, why the mounting and any air gap change the result, and how to read a credible acoustic panel test report.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How Thick Should Acoustic Panels Be? Depth and Air Gaps
How thick should acoustic panels be? Thickness and the air gap behind them set how low in pitch they absorb — here's how to choose depth without overspending.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Choose Acoustic Panels: A Step-by-Step Method
How to choose acoustic panels the right way: define the problem, size the room, decide placement, pick a finish and fire class, and insist on tested data.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16How to Choose an Acoustic Panel Supplier: A Trade Checklist
A trade buyer's checklist for choosing an acoustic panel supplier: documentation, sampling, tolerances, packaging and communication SLAs to check before you commit.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Clean Acoustic Wood Panels: A Care Guide
How to clean acoustic panels: dust the slats along the grain, wipe the timber face with a barely damp cloth, keep the felt backer dry and avoid harsh solvents.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Fix Acoustic Panels Without Damaging Walls
How to fix acoustic panels without damaging walls: battens, adhesive strips, hook-and-loop and freestanding options for renters, plus honest weight limits.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Install Acoustic Slat Panels: A Practical Guide
How to install acoustic slat panels: prepare the substrate, direct-fix or fix onto battens, butt-joint panels, cut around sockets and choose suitable fixings.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Treat a Home Cinema: Acoustic Panels and Placement
Home cinema acoustic treatment made simple: treat first reflection points on side walls and ceiling, balance absorption with diffusion, and keep it real.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12How to Use Acoustic Panels in a Recording Studio
How acoustic panels treat a recording or mixing room by controlling early reflections, flutter and reverberation — and why they absorb, but do not isolate it.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16Importing Acoustic Panels: Türkiye vs China — Transit Times Compared
Türkiye vs China acoustic panel imports compared: road freight typically takes 6–12 days from Türkiye, versus 25–45 days by sea from China. Cited transit times and what that means for restocking.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Low-Frequency Absorption and Bass Traps Explained
Why low frequencies are hard to absorb, what a bass trap really is, and why a thin decorative slat panel is not one — plus how to treat a boomy room honestly.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16Pallet and Truck Quantities Explained: Why Weight, Not Volume, Sets the Limit
How pallet and truck quantities for panel products are actually calculated, and why payload weight — not the volume a pallet or truck can physically hold — is usually the binding constraint.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-14PET Acoustic Panels vs Wood Slat: The Real Difference
PET acoustic panels vs wood: many wood-slat panels are PET-felt-backed, so the difference is the face, not wood vs plastic — and why the fire class matters.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Slat Wall vs Acoustic Panels: What's the Difference?
Are slat walls acoustic? A slat wall only absorbs sound with a proper backer behind the slats. How to tell a decorative slat wall from an acoustic one.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Sound Absorption Classes A to E, Explained
Sound absorption classes A to E are banded αw values under BS EN ISO 11654. See what Class A means, what a room needs, and why a class alone isn't enough.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Sound Diffusion vs Absorption: What's the Difference?
Sound diffusion vs absorption: absorption removes sound energy to cut reverberation, while diffusion scatters reflections. Why a good room usually wants both.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16UK Timber Regulation for Panel Buyers: Operator, Trader and Due Diligence Explained
The UK Timber Regulation (UKTR) explained in plain English for buyers of timber-based products: what an operator and a trader are, what due diligence involves, and what records to keep.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-16What "No Test Report" Actually Means When You Buy an Acoustic Panel
An acoustic panel with no test report is unmeasured, not necessarily poor. What a report proves, how to check a claimed figure, and when a project genuinely needs one.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-17What Are the Disadvantages of Acoustic Wall Panels?
Acoustic wall panels don't soundproof, do little for bass, collect dust in the gaps, and can over-deaden a room. The real drawbacks, including the ones that cost us the sale.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12What Is Flutter Echo? Causes and How to Fix It
Flutter echo is a rapid, ringing repeat bouncing between two parallel hard surfaces. Learn what causes it, how it differs from reverberation, and how to fix it.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12What Is Reverberation Time? RT60 Explained
What reverberation time means in plain English: the time for sound to decay by 60 dB, Sabine's equation, why hard rooms sound loud, and what feels comfortable.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12What Reverberation Time Do I Need for a Room?
The reverberation time you need depends on room use: short for clear speech, longer for music. See UK targets, the BB93 classroom figure and how to reach them.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Where to Place Acoustic Panels in a Room
Where to place acoustic panels: treat first reflection points, tame parallel hard walls, spread absorption around the room, and use the ceiling and corners.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12Wood vs Foam vs Fabric Acoustic Panels: An Honest Guide
Wood vs foam vs fabric acoustic panels compared honestly: how each absorbs sound, how they look, and why the fire class (Euroclass) matters before you buy.
Read the guide →Guide · Reviewed 2026-07-12αw and NRC Explained: How Acoustic Absorption Is Rated
What αw and NRC mean, how the two absorption ratings differ, and how to read a panel's real absorption from its ISO 354 test report — in plain English.
Read the guide →