The testing of any performance product is necessary to ensure that it performs exactly the way it is advertised, and that it will offer performance that matches its claims. For some products, proving they work is incredibly easy. Something like a water bottle not leaking is assessed quickly and conclusively. Less-tactile items require more effort to quantify their performance. Sound treatment is one such product, as sound waves aren’t something we can see or hold. For this reason, we need to rely on technical performance values rooted in science as a basis for reference when comparing products.

Acoustical testing, performed by qualified, independent laboratories, is necessary to validate the performance of a foam deadening material. When assessed in a laboratory testing setting, a foam test generates comparable factors like noise reduction and sound transmission that can be applied across a field of products. This provides a structured way of identifying what products address what frequencies and how well. A test sound of varying frequency is played in rooms with and without the treatment materials, and levels of sound are recorded before and after to create the performance values consumers rely on.

It’s also important to perform testing periodically, as changes in the raw material that sound treatment is manufactured from may impact performance results. Fabrics used in covering panels also have an influence on a product’s performance. As sound is non-tactile, products may make claims stating that they can perform in ways they are incapable of, solely because the average person has no way to prove they will or won’t until after purchase and installation. Acoustical testing is the best way to identify performance values in sound deadening products, so you can make a decision that’s right for you and your space.