Acoustic Panel Placement - The Mirror Trick!

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Sound above 400Hz is considered to be directional. In fact, the higher the frequency, the more directional the sound waves tend to be. In a home theatre or 2-channel listening room, these waves bounce off the nearby walls and produce very noticeable second order reflections which compete with the direct sound from the loudspeakers.

You can easily control these reflections by strategically placing acoustic panels along the side walls to absorb them. As a rule, you should mount them at ear and/or speaker height and position them along the wall to capture the early reflections from the loudspeakers.  

The Mirror Trick

For optimal placement, the easiest and most effective way to position the panels is to use the mirror trick. To do this, you will need an assistant!

• Sit in the listening position
• Have your assistant move a mirror across the wall surface in between you and the speakers
• Using a pencil, mark the beginning and end points where the speakers are visible in the mirror
• Note that you will want to view the left and right speakers (and centre if used) in the mirror
• This will define the area that would be ideally treated
• Repeat for the second side

You can then mount your Primacoustic panels to the wall using Impalers. Note that you do not have to cover the full area; covering most of the surface will provide plenty of control. (If you are unsure how much treatment you need, check out this article.)

After treating the side walls, you can further improve control by absorbing the rear reflections on the wall behind the sitting position. For this, you would turn around while remaining in the listening position and then follow the same approach by marking the wall where you can see the speakers in the mirror. Primacoustic Scatter Blocks™ are a good option in this instance since they offer general area absorption without completely deadening the room. Too much absorption will remove the energy and excitement.

As a final measure, for those that want maximum definition, placing a couple of 3″ thick acoustic panels behind the loudspeakers on the front wall will help eliminate comb-filtering caused by omnidirectional low frequencies emanating from the loudspeaker.

A common question we get everyday is where to place the acoustic panels once you’ve purchased them. Whether you have acoustic ceiling clouds, art-wrapped acoustic treatment, or standard fabric-wrapped acoustic panels, by spacing and installing them properly, you can greatly improve the efficiency and aesthetics of your space.

Acoustic Panel Placement Guidelines

Our trained and experienced team of installers follows a few basic rules when installing acoustic panels in a space to minimize reverberation, including:

1. Symmetry

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   : This is simple but not always easy. Panels should be balanced in a space, but there are often multiple patterns in a given room, including windows, doors, A/C vents, etc. There can also be a number of penetrations or obstructions, such as lights and exit signs, that need to be installed around. Where possible, observe the primary symmetrical pattern, and when patterns must be broken for an obstruction, minimize the change in spacing between panels.

2. Spread them out:

   Panels become less effective if they’re all placed together in a single corner. This is intuitive, since only a small amount of the sound waves will reach that corner in the first half-second or second after the noise source occurs.
   • A corollary to this rule is to ensure that no 2 parallel walls are left untreated. If this happens, then standing waves may develop in the space.

3. Don’t place them too high

   : While hanging acoustic panels well above eye level prevents any imperfections, or stains from the hanging process, from being seen, it also increases the amount of time it takes for sound to reach them. This can adversely affect the acoustic treatment.

Area Principle for Acoustic Panel Placement: e~P/A

Put another way, the efficiency of your panel layout is proportional to the Perimeter of the panels divided by the Total Surface Area of the panels. For a given number of panels, the surface area doesn’t change. However, by spreading out the panels, the perimeter of the treatment grows significantly, resulting in a more efficient layout.

For example, if you have only 4’x8′ panels, four of them will give a square footage of 124 sf. The minimum perimeter occurs if all 4 panels are placed so that their long sides are touching, with only 48′ of perimeter. By spreading them out with 4′ gaps in between the panels, the perimeter of the entire set of panels increases to 72′, and the efficiency of the layout increases by 50%.

Poor Acoustic Panel Layout – placing panels directly next to each other reduces the efficiency of each panel’s ability to reduce the reverb time in the spaceAcoustic Panel Layout – Improved – Spreading Acoustic Panels out helped to improve effectiveness and reduce echo

Acoustic Panel Layouts – Do’s and Don’ts

The color, shape, and size of your acoustic panel selection all affect the location of where you can place them. However, by following core principles and guidelines, you can assure an aesthetic finish that will also efficiently improve the acoustics in your space.

DON’Ts Acoustic Panel Layouts:

• Put acoustic wall panels too close to the ground where they will be bumped or get dirty and dinted
• Place the panels too high where sound will take longer to reach them
• Place all panels directly together in the same area, reducing the P/A ratio
• Leave two parallel walls untreated – this allows standing waves and flutter echo, even in relatively small rooms
• Hide the treatment. If the foam, fiberglass, or other absorptive material is hidden under chairs or tables, its effectiveness is greatly reduced.

Instead DO this for Acoustic Panel Layouts:

• Place the panels symmetrically, using the wall length and any sub-patterns (lights, grids, doors) dictate the best spacing
• Spread the acoustic panels out to improve the efficiency of the acoustic treatment
• Use impact-resistant acoustic panels if in a gym or other lively environment where they are likely to be tested

Placing Acoustic Panels to Maximize Sound Panel Effectiveness

No matter where you are using them, remember to follow these rules of thumb when hanging acoustic panels:

1. Hang them symmetrically – keep the spacing consistent between adjacent acoustical wall panels
2. Space them out – don’t hang all acoustical panels in a single area, or on a single wall. Instead, put them in equal numbers across the entire space.
3. Don’t place panels too high – keep acoustical panels within 12-14′ AFF (above finished floor). However, you may want to place them at least 6′ off of the ground to minimize touching by children or curious patrons.

Also in relation to placing acoustic panels, see our video on determining reverberation time in a space. This measurement can give you an idea of how much absorptive material is needed in a space.

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