Designing sounds
Everything you need to know about acoustic textiles
What are the advantages, how are the textiles constructed, and how do we test to ensure they really work?
Classification
The ability of a product to absorb sound determines its sound absorption coefficient. It can be anything between 0.0, which means no absorption, to 1.0, which is total absorption.
The result itself is called the alpha value and is abbreviated as "a". If it says "ap," it means "practical alpha," which indicates it is linked to a specific frequency, while "aw" means "weighted alpha," which is independent of frequency. The alpha value, in turn, determines which absorption class a product belongs to. If the product has an aw of 0.9, it absorbs 90% of sound and belongs to class A. If the alpha value is below 0.15, it absorbs too little to be sound classified at all. In between are classes B, C, D, and E.
Absorption classes
A 90-100%
B 80-85%
C 60-75%
D 30-55%
E 15-25%
Other sound absorption coefficients
Concrete: 0.03 (3%)
Glass: 0.05 (5%)
Ordinary curtains: 0.10–0.15 (10–15%)
Soft flooring: 0.15–0.25 (15–25%)
Sound absorption panels: 0.75–0.85 (75–85%)
Designing sounds
Articles about the sound environment
An important factor for well-being is a pleasant acoustic environment. Here we share our collective knowledge and experience together with experts from various industries and fields.
Designing sounds
Find the right fabric for your project
Sound-rated textiles from Svensson are available in absorption classes A-C. With the right textile in the right place, you can create a pleasant acoustic environment.