Acoustic panels traditionally come in standard square or rectangular shapes. Considering that nearly all rooms in almost every kind of building are square with square walls, square panels seem like a perfect fit, quite literally.
While square acoustic panels do their job well, it’s also helpful to have some creative control with the visual aspect of acoustic panels. Enter hexagon felt acoustic panels, six-sided panels that fit together like tiles to create any number of aesthetically pleasing outcomes. In this article, we take a look at the cutting-edge of hexagon panels, how they work to control sound, and the fantastic aesthetic control they offer.
AlphaSorb Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Hexagon Wall Panels
What Are Acoustic Panels and Why Use Them?
Acoustic panels are made of felt polyester, fiberglass, or foam that hang on walls and/or ceilings to control sound. They are typically a sound absorbing acoustic core wrapped in a fabric that allows sound waves to pass through it. Note that they are for controlling sound, not blocking sound. When it comes to sound blocking, commonly called soundproofing, that deals with the walls and building structure itself. Concrete walls, for example, are great at blocking sound entering or leaving a room.
Imagine playing pool and striking the cue ball aimed at the 8-ball. If you barely hit the 8-ball with the cue ball, it may only have enough energy to bounce once off of the wall. If it’s hit at an angle, it will bounce off at an opposing angle. If you struck the cue ball with an extremely powerful force, the energy will transfer to the 8-ball and it might hit the pool table walls 10+ times before finally coming to rest.
This is how sound waves work, and it becomes incredibly complex because the kind of sound we hear in music, speech, and effects is far, far more complex than just a single sound, like the pool table example. When a multitude of sound waves are bouncing around a room and new ones are being produced every moment, this can add up to a mess that will make the original sound unintelligible.
Acoustic panels will solve this dilemma. The energy of the reverberation is physically sapped by acoustic panels, allowing the “tail end” of each sound to be rapidly dissipated rather than free to bounce all over the place until it loses energy.
Felt polyester acoustic panels absorb soundwaves far better than air does, allowing reverberation to be deftly controlled. This adds up to the listener being able to hear the direct, original sounds coming from the speakers without them being distorted by unruly reverb.
Designing with Acoustical Panels
While the concept is simple, planning for acoustic panel installation for sound control can be challenging. Here are some of the main factors that need to be considered:
- Room width and length
- Number of walls
- Height of ceiling
- Wall material
- Flooring material
- Positioning of speakers
- Frequency range of speakers
- Obstructions that may impede installation
Thankfully, calculations can be done more quickly than before, allowing for easy setups. This also allows for a finer touch when adding acoustic panels for more precision. The more precision, the cleaner (and better) a sound can be.
Aesthetic Advantages with Hexagon Acoustic Panels
Square and rectangular acoustic panels are an excellent option, however, the introduction of hexagon acoustic panels provides another level of aesthetic control. A hexagon is more interesting than a square, and because they have so many more sides, they can be tiled together in more interesting and complex ways. Aesthetics are no doubt part of acoustic paneling, and hexagons are an engaging look.
Consider 4 square panels and think about how you can arrange them together. There are limited options and most of the time you end up with just a large square. The only other possible shapes are an L or a cross – interesting, but not the most engaging. Now, consider a hexagon and how many different overall shapes can be made when they are tiled together.
AlphaSorb Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Hexagon Wall Panels
Hexagon Acoustic Panels From Acoustical Solutions
At Acoustical Solutions, we look to not only offer our customers high-end acoustic panels to achieve their sound control goals, but panels that achieve aesthetic goals, too. That’s why we offer our hexagon acoustic lines to achieve both. Our hexagon acoustic tiles made of polyester are also seen as an eco-friendly option, helping to achieve sustainability goals as well.
With our Series 200 panels, we achieve a .35 NRC rating to control sound in thinner panels that are easy to install directly to the wall and create an intriguing aesthetic with. The Series 200 panels are engineered from 60% recyclable material, have no formaldehyde nor VOCs, are antifungal and antibacterial, and are compliant with CA Prop-65.
Our AlphaSorb® Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Hexagon Wall Panels panels are a bit thicker, offering a slightly higher NRC rating of 0.5, with low VOC emissions.
If you’re looking for even more sound control, we can help you design a mounted version so that the panels stand off of the wall, achieving an NRC of 0.9.
AlphaSorb Designer Premium Acoustic Felt Hexagon Wall Panels
Find the Best Hexagon Acoustic Panels at Acoustical Solutions
At Acoustical Solutions, we work tirelessly to create the best acoustic panels for precision sound control, while offering a wide range of aesthetic options to fit your every need. Our hexagon panels options proudly inherit our advanced sound control material properties while giving clients unmatched aesthetic and design control.
Contact one of our experts today to learn more about hexagon acoustic panels and how they can help you achieve your sound control goals while elevating the aesthetics of your space.
To learn more about how Acoustical Solutions can solve your noise control problems, use our contact form, call one of our Acoustical Sales Consultants at (800) 782-5742, or visit us on the web at acousticalsolutions.com.
