Speaker Dampening Materials. What do people use?

[doug20]

This is from the measurements thread.

Originally Posted by wintermute

Hi doug it is an aussie product it was called soundsorber barrier when I purchased it a few years ago, but now it is called something else I think... I also have a small amount of polyester fill in the cabinet as well. Link to the page here Soundsorber Barrier technical data

It was a bit of a gamble as I couldn't find anyone who had used the product for speakers, and the manufacturers didn't know of anyone using it for that purpose either (and it isn't exactly cheap) but it worked very nicely

Below are a couple of pics of the stuff.

Back on topic, I did nearfield measurements with eggcrate foam, carpet underlay, packing foam, acoustic tiles and bare, all had differing effectiveness (interestingly the acoustic tiles were the worst!!) The soundsorber was by far the best. The only thing that came close was two layers of eggcrate foam combined with excessivly dense fill, which measured well (in that the reflections were gone) but sounded horrible.


Tony.

Im curious to what others use inside their speaker boxes (if their speakers have boxes).

[doug20]

I use this

Parts-Express.com:Sonic Barrier 1-1/4" 3-Layer Damping Material w/PSA 18 x 24" | acoustic damping foam black hole sonic barrier acoustic foam damping foam damping sonic impact sonic110408 cabinet_damping

or I use carpet pad because I have some left over.

Im considering adding this Elemental Designs to the walls then placing the foam over it.

[wintermute]

Hi Doug, as for a source in the US. Here is a link to what I think is the same product on pyrotek's us site: Pyrotek - Soundproofing Solutions as I mentioned I thought it was called something else now, and I think that is sorberflex.

You could ask them if it is the same thing as the soundsorber barrier. It certainly looks very similar.

Tony.

edit: I've added the before/after nearfield graph (blue with soundsober plus a small amount of fill, black bare box) and the images of the product and its use in the speakers to add the context

edit2: oh and it looks like it isn't an Aussie product at all, I think it is a US product, with a local manufacturing plant here in Sydney (which is where I got mine from).

[doug20]

Thanks Tony!! It does look very similar. I will contact them.

[wintermute]

Oh and for the record, I tried stripping off the aluminium fabric to see what effect it had, and it was a lot less effective!!

Tony.

[Brett]

Tony, what does the stuff cost? I think I found some here but was unsure whether you used the 25 or 50mm.

[56oval]

Originally Posted by Brett

Tony, what does the stuff cost? I think I found some here but was unsure whether you used the 25 or 50mm.

Hi Brett
Here are a couple of other options
http://www.pyrotek.info/documents/da...English_A4.pdf

E-A-R Specialty Composites -- noise, vibration, shock, damping, cushioning, sound, control

Google aircraft bulk head sound isolation

Cheers

[Brett]

Originally Posted by 56oval

Hi Brett
Here are a couple of other options
http://www.pyrotek.info/documents/da...English_A4.pdf

E-A-R Specialty Composites -- noise, vibration, shock, damping, cushioning, sound, control

Google aircraft bulk head sound isolation

Cheers

Thanks for that Mal, I'll have a longer read later. Is this stuff expensive and available to non industrial customers?

I'm also going to try some Malthoid dampcourse inside the speakers as it's cheap and easily available. It's very similar to 30lb roofing felt in the US.

[Andersonix]

A friend gave me an old polyester fiber comforter, so that's what's going inside my cabinets. Otherwise I would've gotten some woolen or cotton blankets from a thrift store, or put some fiberglass insulation inside an old pillowcase.

[wintermute]

Originally Posted by Brett

Tony, what does the stuff cost? I think I found some here but was unsure whether you used the 25 or 50mm.

Hi Brett, Just found the receipt. I purchased it in Nov 2005 so pricing could be way off. It was 1 sheet which I think was 1.3M X 1M and it cost $138 AU.

The description on the receipt is Sound Barrier 32 AL 4.5KG

I think that is the 25mm stuff as that seems to be the thickness of the outer layer of foam, the 32 I think is the nominal overall thickness counting the barrier layer and second thin foam layer. They have a dandenong warehouse, and a manufacturing plant in Girraween Sydney. I believe that the pyrotek product that 56oval linked to is the same thing, as I think it may have been renamed.

Pyrotek - Improving Performance

The product datasheet is here Soundsorber Barrier technical data I think that it is now known under the name

I bought directly from the factory at Giraween, The sales guy was helpful and there was no problem with me buying just a single sheet. Soundgaurd appears to be the name of the Australian division of the bigger american parent pyrotek.


I don't think the product you linked to is the same thing. It doesn't look like it has the barrier layer (could be just the absorbtion bit) Mine didn't have a self adhesive on it either. The graph also looks quite different, though it is not using the same coeficients so it is hard to compare.

Tony.