Hello forum members, was wondering if someone has tested acoustic curtains and whether they bring any benefit, or whether they are simply a marketing gimmick.
I am currently evaluating having the Annette Douglas (Vescom) Capri Acoustic Sheer Curtain. It is made of polyester and has an alphaw of 0.65.
I have a glass window measuring 2.4x2.4m, hence considering changing my current standard sheer curtain to the one mentioned above.
The room currently does not have any treatment, though I have recently sent the .mdat REW file to GIK and discussing with them suitable acoustic treatment (mainly bass traps). I was wondering if it makes sense to also invest in the Vescom acoustic curtain considering the price including air freight will come to around $1200.
Thanks @feeling_zen, I guess you bought them just round the corner where you live and did not have to air freight them, for me, 50% of the cost is air freight (I live in Dubai).
Correct. I just went to my local low cost furnishing chain and ask what they have for soundproofing and stopping glass sound reflections and they said “we have these in 5 colours. Give us the measurements and collect in 2 weeks” .
Couldn’t have been simpler. Do they really not have any basic selection like this in Dubai?
I asked around but could not find anyone who has sound proofing fabric. They do however say that the fabric will anyway absorb sound, however this does not mean that it has been designed for acoustic absorption as a main goal. The only one i could find was Vescom, however they have to import it and hence the heavy freight charge.
Not sure what does an acoustic curtain do other than absorbing the sound waves? With room acoustics it’s either absorption or diffusion. Personally I feel a normal thick curtain would do fine and particularly useful if you have large glass panels behind the speakers. A thick and heavy curtain will be much more effective than thin and light ones.
I’m very dubious about such flimsy fabric having much of an effect - but the claims are interesting. I’d want to look an awful lot more into the reality of their effect - including the frequency range - and supported by test data before contemplating buying them for their acoustic properties. The experience of other people of course is also useful, so I hope your request here brings some responses from others who have used the same or similar products.
They are mostly designed to keep sound out rather than absorb from within although they will. They are for noisy environments where outside noise is an issue. Some claim to reduce background noise by 7db and are made of multiple layers of different fabrics. Some are designed like theatrical curtains for partitioning off a part of a room to keep noise down. I don’t think any are designed to be a room treatment for audio equipment.
Indeed. A fabric for the purpose must attack the problem with both absorbtion and deadening. That means changinging density for absorbtion and mass for deadening.
The ones I had were constructed with lead threads sealed in a rubber matting for the deadening aspect. They were so heavy I had to stand on a chair and draw them close to the railing to get them to move. Soundoroofing must atack the problem in both ways to be effective.
Most articles on acoustic curtains you find online do not address acoustic treatment for audiophile, except for a few i found, however if you are able to have a sheer curtain with aesthetically appealing looks performing similar to stage curtains, then i guess you hit two birds with a stone, you have a nice looking curtain so that you other half is not going to give this “hell no” look and you improve your overall listening experience.
Below are two charts, one with the effect of two of those curtains and the other one is how they compare with stage curtains and a normal standard sheer curtain. The numbers look interesting, but is it worth having them or is this going to be one of those upgrades you will regret having spent money on.
@feeling_zen, can you describe the effect you had with your curtains before having them there and after? It seems your perform similar to a stage curtain.
Hi,
Hofa Akustik from Germany offer curtains, es well as absorbers and diffusers, aimed at the professional and home audio market. These might be what you are looking for.
