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Sound Absorbing Drapes

I am thinking of adding sound-absorbing drapes to the front wall of my music room, and I will place them behind my Martin Logan speakers.  I have done other treatments in the room and have had fantastic improvements with my sound stage.   Have others on this forum made drapes like this?  If so, what material did you use, and what tips can you offer?  I read that a heavy velour fabric works best.

My wife is a seamstress so she will be making them (I like the idea of getting her involved with the process - it should help me achieve a higher WAF score on the final product).

I currently have DIY sound absorbing panels behind my speakers, and they do a great job - but I think drapes might look alot better, while still providing critical sound-deadening that works best behind my ML speakers.

 

hikerneil
pindac's avatar
pindac
3,921 posts
 

I should also have stated if there was a want to not use a liner of Sheep Wool matting sandwiched within a Curtain, wool is extremely easy to dye a colour that has aesthetic attraction.

Wool dyed to a colour of choice can be used as a Wall Liner and a Curtain can be used as a additional control measure if wanted.

Note: The successful measures usually has a spacing between the structural wall inner face of the absorbent material. To make the most of a wall liner it will be best mounted on a batten frame that creates a cavity of approx' 20mm (3/4" - 1"). There is a control on the energies first pass and a improved efficiency control for the energy bounce back from the hard structural surface when a cavity is created.

 

larryi
4,578 posts
 

Google "soundproof curtains."  There are many commercial products, such as those from 3HLinen or TheHues, that are designed to maximize sound blocking/cancellation.  There are cheaper options that are used in motels and hotels, but most of those are not that great looking.  Even if you go the DIY approach, you can study how these companies design their drapes.  Linen appears to be a popular material and multiple layers of fabric are employed.  

tcutter's avatar
tcutter
399 posts
 

A related thread:

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/drapes-or-blinds-for-patio-door/post?postid=2863724#2863724

Typical draperies typically have a poor NRC rating.

8th-note
473 posts
 

I have a couple suggestions. This sounds like a big project that will involve hundreds of dollars and dozens of hours.

  1. I highly recommend that you run Room EQ Wizard to get a baseline of where you are at before adding more treatment. The software is free and the calibrated mic is under $200.
  2. Look at companies that provide sound absorbing curtains. There is a lot of detailed information about the materials and construction they use. It may give you some ideas about making your own or it may lead you to purchase a manufactured product.
  3. Take the advice of @ghdprentice and experiment with heavy blankets before making curtains. Sound absorption is tricky and you may not like the result.
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