Solutions / Residential
Living rooms
Softer echo for conversation, TV and music, without looking like a studio.
What usually goes wrong
- Conversation gets loud when friends are over.
- TV dialogue is hard to follow.
- Hard floors and big windows make the room ring.
The main noise sources are voices, the TV and music. Sound bounces off hard walls, floors and ceilings, so it lingers and builds up. Absorbing panels soak up those reflections.
Where the panels go
- Above the sofa as an art-like grouping.
- On the side walls level with the TV speakers.
- Opposite a large window, which reflects strongly.
- In the corners behind the TV for low-frequency boom.
Mistakes to avoid
- Buying panels too small to matter.
- Hanging one panel and expecting a big change.
- Covering a wall evenly when grouping looks better and works as well.
Fire rating and codes
Residential codes rarely regulate panels, but choose Class A rated cores and fabrics near fireplaces and heaters.
Blocking sound between rooms
Panels make a room sound better, but they don’t stop sound passing through a wall. For that you need a wall assembly rated around STC 40, to keep TV sound out of bedrooms. Read about STC ratings and soundproofing.
Recommended
Panels that suit living rooms
Learning center
14 guides for living rooms
Acoustic panels for living rooms: the complete guideWhat makes living rooms noisy, which panels fix it, and how to plan treatment from start to finish.How many acoustic panels does a living room need?A worked Sabine calculation for a typical living room, with panel counts for small, typical and large rooms.Where to put acoustic panels in a living roomWhere panels do the most good in living rooms, in priority order.Wall acoustics for living roomsHow walls behave acoustically in living rooms and how to treat them with panels.Ceiling acoustics for living roomsClouds, baffles and ceiling tiles for living rooms, and how much of the ceiling to cover.Choosing panel thickness for a living room1, 2 or 4 inches: which thickness suits living rooms and why.Reverberation time targets for living roomsThe reverberation time to aim for in living rooms, and why it matters.What acoustic treatment costs for a living roomBudget estimates for treating a typical living room, and where the money goes.Fabrics, colors and shapes for living roomsFabric types, colors and shapes that work in living rooms.Fire ratings and code requirements for panels in living roomsFire ratings, occupancy rules and mounting requirements for panels in living rooms.Installing acoustic panels in a living roomTools, hardware and step-by-step installation for panels in living rooms.Common acoustic mistakes in living roomsThe errors we see most often in living rooms, and how to avoid them.Soundproofing and STC ratings for living roomsWhen living rooms need soundproofing, which STC rating to aim for, and how to get there.Living room acoustics checklist and FAQA one-page checklist and answers to common questions about living room acoustics.