Acoustic panel types: which suits your project?

Acoustic panel selection is perhaps the topic that causes the most hesitation in sound insulation and acoustic treatment projects. There are dozens of different types and hundreds of different products on the market; each one arrives with catalogues making similar claims. The most frequent question our customers ask is "which one should we choose." The answer is not the product at the top of the catalogue; it is most often the product that matches your space's acoustic requirements, your visual expectations and your budget. In this article we try to offer you a practical guide for the right choice by comparing acoustic panel types through technical data, visual characteristics and application areas.

First, the Basic Concept: The NRC Value

The most common indicator of acoustic panel performance is the NRC (Noise Reduction Coefficient) value. The NRC is the average of a panel's sound absorption coefficients at 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz and 2000 Hz, and takes a value between 0 and 1. A panel with an NRC of 0.75 absorbs 75% of the incoming sound energy and reflects 25% back. As the NRC approaches 1, reflection decreases.

However, the NRC alone is not a sufficient measure. Because a panel can provide 0.95 absorption at 1000 Hz while remaining at only 0.15 at 125 Hz. In a very reverberant space this resolves the high frequencies while leaving the low frequencies (the muffled hum) untouched. For this reason, in professional projects the octave-band absorption coefficients are evaluated alongside the NRC. In critical spaces such as studios, cinemas and conference halls, spectral analysis is essential.

1. Fabric-Covered Acoustic Panel

Perhaps the most widespread and most flexible panel type. Its inner core is usually rock wool or polyurethane fill with a density of 60-80 kg/m³, while its outer surface is an acoustically transparent fabric. NRC values are in the 0.80-0.95 band. A fabric-covered panel 50 mm thick provides near-perfect broadband absorption.

In visual terms, the range of fabric options is almost limitless. Many variants are available, such as solid colour, digitally printed (with the look of artwork), 3D textured and leather-look. Colour harmony can be customised according to a company's corporate identity colours and the space design. This versatility makes the fabric-covered panel the most preferred option in spaces such as offices, restaurants, hotels and conference halls.

Advantages: High NRC, visual flexibility, wide range of use, the option of digital printing.

Limitations: Surface durability is medium; it is not suitable for spaces such as children's areas, warehouses and kitchens. The non-combustibility certificate of the fabric must always be questioned.

Typical application areas: Office, meeting room, conference hall, hotel lobby, restaurant, cinema hall.

2. Wood Acoustic Panel

The acoustic principle of wood panels, preferred in projects that wish to add warmth and a natural look to a space, rests on a perforated or slatted structure. The wood surface contains a perforation (holes) or slatted system that breaks up the sound wave; the sound-absorbing fill behind it (acoustic felt or rock wool) absorbs the sound.

Perforated wood panels offer performance in the NRC 0.55-0.75 band. The NRC values of slatted panels vary between 0.60 and 0.85 depending on the open-hole ratio. Although wood panels do not provide absorption as high as fabric-covered panels acoustically, they carve out a different niche with their visual impact and durability.

Advantages: Aesthetic, natural look, durability, long life, eco-friendly material options (FSC certified).

Limitations: Lower NRC at high frequencies compared to fabric-covered; at low frequencies the quality of the fill behind it is decisive; the cost may be higher than fabric-covered.

Typical application areas: Manager's office, boutique hotel, concert hall, premium restaurant, store design.

3. Felt Acoustic Panel

A trend that has risen sharply in Europe and America in recent years; PET felt panels stand out with their modern, minimalist and eco-friendly stance. Polyester (PET) fibre produced from recycled plastic bottles is turned into a thick felt structure and made into a panel. NRC values vary between 0.40 and 0.90 depending on the panel thickness and the installation cavity.

When felt panels are stuck directly to the wall they remain weak at low frequencies; however, when mounted with a 25-50 mm air cavity, NRC values rise markedly. Because special forms can be achieved with CNC cutting, acoustic panel applications can be made on the wall in 3D textures, geometric patterns, or even in the form of a logo. In this respect felt panels are a sought-after product for modern and original designs.

Advantages: Eco-friendly (recycled material), lightweight, easy to install, wide design flexibility, broad colour scale; BS 476 Class 0 certified versions are available.

Limitations: Insufficient on its own at low frequencies; the NRC drops when used without a rear cavity; cleaning requires care in cases of surface soiling.

Typical application areas: Modern office, education areas, podcast studio, cafeteria, education/school, showroom.

4. Melamine (Basotect) Acoustic Panel

Among the products that offer the highest absorption performance acoustically are open-cell panels with a melamine resin structure. This material, known by the Basotect brand, absorbs sound waves over a very broad band thanks to its open-cell structure that is 99% air. NRC values can be in the 0.90-1.00 band. A melamine panel 25 mm thick competes with double-thickness fabric-covered panels.

Its surface is smooth, in white or grey tones; in addition, versions covered with fabric, vinyl or glass tissue are also available. Thanks to its light weight and ease of cutting, it can be adapted to special forms, floating-island (cloud panel) systems and acoustic vessels. As its fire resistance is high, it is preferred in critical spaces.

Advantages: The highest broadband NRC value, lightweight, B-s1, d0 fire class, easily shaped.

Limitations: Surface durability is medium; it is prone to soiling without a fabric or vinyl covering; the cost may be higher than fabric-covered.

Typical application areas: Professional recording studio, cinema hall, broadcast studio, conference/mixed use, music rehearsal room, call centre.

5. Decorative Acoustic Cladding and Other Solutions

Beyond the four main categories above, there are other panel types we prefer in special projects. Stretch fabric systems cover large wall surfaces with a tensioned fabric and provide acoustic performance through the fill behind it. Cold-pressed panels based on glass wool provide high performance in industrial spaces. Floating acoustic islands (cloud panels) are suspended parallel to the floor in high-ceilinged spaces and provide both sound absorption and a decorative effect.

Suspended baffle systems, meanwhile, are panels positioned vertically in industrial and large-volume spaces; they provide acoustic treatment without obstructing the ventilation ducts. All these solutions are most often used in combination, with more than one employed at once, according to the project's acoustic goal and architectural constraints.

Installation Methods and the Importance of the Air Cavity

The same panel can give very different NRC values with different installation methods. A panel stuck directly to the wall performs poorly at low frequencies; because there is no gap in which the sound wave can achieve maximum movement within the absorptive material. When you mount the same panel leaving a 25-50 mm air cavity, the NRC value rises markedly in the 100-250 Hz range.

The standard installation systems we use in the field are listed as: metal Z-profile hangers, wooden battens, magnetic holders, the T-clip system and direct bonding. Which one is preferred is determined by the weight of the panel, the construction of the wall and the need for an air cavity. This detail is often a critical parameter that catalogue information conceals but that directly affects performance.

Comparison Table (Quick Look)

• Fabric-covered: NRC 0.80-0.95 - high visual flexibility - medium-high budget
• Wood acoustic: NRC 0.55-0.85 - warm look, durability - high budget
• Felt: NRC 0.40-0.90 - eco-friendly, modern, flexible design - medium budget
• Melamine: NRC 0.90-1.00 - professional acoustics - high budget

How to Choose the Right Panel?

Acoustic panel selection becomes clear through three questions:

1. What is the space's acoustic goal? A recording studio needs broadband high absorption; a meeting room needs medium-high absorption for speech intelligibility; in a large volume such as a lobby, reflection control comes to the fore.

2. In which direction do the visual expectations lie? Digitally printed fabric reflecting corporate identity, natural warm wood, modern minimalist felt, or professional white melamine? This choice directly determines the feel of the space.

3. How is the balance between budget and durability? More durable choices come to the fore in heavy-use areas, more aesthetic choices in low-use areas.

When you consider these three questions together, finding the right panel category becomes much easier. The approach we apply in the field is: first measurement, then acoustic calculation, then panel selection, and finally application. Projects that start simply with "panel selection" generally end with the result "whichever one we pick, it won't work."

Non-Combustibility and Certification

The unseen but vital aspect of acoustic panels is fire safety. Turkey's Regulation on Fire Protection requires the interior surface materials used in spaces open to use to be in certain fire classes. The minimum documents required for an acoustic panel:

• EN 13501-1: A2-s1, d0 or B-s1, d0 class
• BS 476 Part 6 and Part 7: Class 0 (surface flame spread)
• UNI 9175 (especially in products of Italian origin): Class 1IM

No panel for which we have not seen the certificate can enter our project. There is no exception to this rule.

Field Story: From the Wrong Panel to the Right Panel

A few years ago a cafe operator who reached out to our team had, before opening, carried out acoustic treatment with 30 mm thick polyester sound-absorbing panels stuck directly to the walls. However, after opening, the environment still remained excessively reverberant; conversations between two tables were merging into one another, and customer satisfaction kept dropping. When we took acoustic measurements in the space, we found the RT60 value to be 1.8 seconds; whereas the target should have been 0.8 seconds.

The problem was not the inadequacy of the panel, but the mismatch between the installation choice and the uncalculated quantity of application. Without removing a significant portion of the existing panels, felt baffle islands were suspended in the upper space, the ceiling was converted to a single type of acoustic panel, and additional fabric-covered panels were added to one third of the wall surface. The RT60 dropped to 0.75 seconds; speech intelligibility increased markedly. Customer satisfaction rose quickly and the cafe became packed in the evening hours.

This story is one of the most frequently repeated lessons in acoustic panel projects: the panel may be right, the installation may be right, but when the quantity and distribution are calculated incorrectly, the result still fails. Correct calculation = the right panel + the right installation + the right quantity.

Conclusion

Acoustic panel selection starts not from the catalogue, but from the acoustic analysis of the space. The right product is not the one with the highest NRC value; it is the panel that performs in the frequency band you need, suits the visual language of your space, and meets critical criteria such as fire safety. Fabric-covered, wood, felt and melamine - each has its brilliance and its limitation; a good designer knows these differences.

Before you decide which panel type is suitable for your project, we recommend that you have an acoustic measurement carried out in the space, that you see the octave-band data, and that you examine the certification documents. At project surveys, our team evaluates the space together with you, takes measurements, and recommends the panel dictated not by the catalogue but by engineering calculation.

The right panel selection determines not only acoustic comfort but also the visual identity of the space, the satisfaction of employees/users, and long-term investment value. If this engineering step, which should come before the design stage, is taken, the "which one would it be, I wonder" hesitation experienced while leafing through the catalogue gives way to the clarity of "this panel for this space."