Acoustics explained
What determines good room acoustics?
Good room acoustics determine how comfortable people feel in a space. In offices, meeting rooms, restaurants, hotels, schools, and public buildings, acoustics have a direct impact on speech intelligibility, concentration, and well-being.
When sound is insufficiently absorbed, reverberation occurs. Conversations, phone calls, and other noises remain audible for longer because sound waves continuously bounce off hard surfaces. This increases the sound level and makes it harder to understand each other.
Poor acoustics often lead to fatigue, stress, and reduced productivity. In restaurants, guests need to speak louder to understand each other. In offices, concentration decreases, and in meeting rooms, important information is lost.
What is reverberation?
Reverberation is the phenomenon where sound continues to exist after the sound source has stopped. The longer sound waves bounce off walls, ceilings, and floors, the longer the reverberation time.
Materials such as glass, concrete, steel, tiles, and masonry reflect a large part of the sound. Modern buildings often contain many of these hard materials, which means acoustic problems arise more quickly.
An excessively long reverberation time causes:
- poor speech intelligibility;
- higher sound levels;
- more stress and fatigue;
- less concentration;
- a less comfortable user experience.
How can you improve acoustics?
The most effective way to reduce reverberation is to apply sound-absorbing materials. These materials absorb sound waves instead of reflecting them back into the room.
Examples are:
- acoustic ceiling solutions;
- acoustic wall panels;
- acoustic lighting;
- curtains and carpets;
- upholstered furniture;
- absorbing design objects.
By adding sufficient absorption, the reverberation time decreases and the acoustic quality of the space improves significantly.
Akomo's acoustic solutions
Akomo develops and produces high-quality acoustic solutions based on Basotect® melamine foam. This lightweight material combines excellent sound absorption with a sleek design and is particularly effective within the frequency range of human speech.
Our collection includes among others:
- acoustic lighting;
- acoustic ceiling objects;
- acoustic wall panels;
- custom absorption solutions;
- design objects for offices, meeting rooms, restaurants, and public spaces.
Advice and guidance
Every space has different acoustic properties. Therefore, Akomo supports architects, interior designers, project fitters, and end-users with:
- acoustic calculations;
- reverberation and sound measurements;
- product advice;
- project support;
- delivery of acoustic solutions.
Our goal is simple: to create a more comfortable, quieter, and pleasant space in which people can communicate, work, and relax better.
