Learn
Acoustics, in plain English
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
Reverberation & 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 →Guides
Understand the specification
Acoustic 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 most effective place to absorb sound; wall panels tame reflections.
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 2026-07-12Euroclass 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 2026-07-12How 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 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 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 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 2026-07-12How 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 2026-07-12Slat 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 2026-07-12What 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 2026-07-12Wood 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 they differ, and how to read an acoustic panel's absorption from its ISO 354 test report — in plain English.
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