Acoustic reverberation
What is acoustic reverberation?
In physics, sound reverberation is an acoustic phenomenon that occurs when a sound wave hits and reflects off of an obstacle in front of the sound source, resulting in a reduction in the optimal reverberation time.
An acoustic phenomenon that we all know is produced when we shout out something in the mountains. The response that reaches the ears is the echo: an acoustic phenomenon where the sound is reflected by the rock walls and travels back, taking a certain amount of time.
In an enclosed environment, like an office, a restaurant dining room or hotel lobby, the time it takes for the sound to bounce back and reach our ears is much shorter and the reflected sound is not as clear and distinct as in the mountains or in wide open spaces. In these cases, we are talking about reverberation.
To have a more technical definition and a clearer idea of the difference between reverberation and echo, we can say that it’s all a question of space and obstacles. Reverberation occurs when the incident wave and the reflected wave become blurred in the listener’s ear, while an echo occurs when there are two distinct waves.
Reverberation in daily life
The problems associated with sound reverberation are much more common than you can imagine.
In daily life, we associate this disturbance with discomfort caused by residual noise or background noise. To give some examples, reverberation is the problem that you are experiencing when:
- you’re at a restaurant and you’re trying to talk to someone at other end of the table or you have to get closer to be able to hear the conversation;
- you can’t concentrate at work, because it’s an open space where you hear all the surrounding noises and voices, and making a phone call or consulting a colleague is completely impossible.
At LvB Italia , we develop acoustic panels designed to reduce reverberation by completely eliminating background noise so that it is not a disruptive factor during a conversation or a distraction when you’re trying to concentrate.
How do sound-absorbing panels eliminate reverberation?
The feeling of acoustic discomfort occurs when the reverberation time (calculated in seconds) is greater than a certain value.
This value is calculated based on the intended use of the space and its dimensions.
Sound reflection and the resulting reverberation are dependent on the shape of an environment, its size and the construction materials that it is made of.
To achieve an optimal reverberation time, it is necessary to reduce the reflecting surfaces by adding sound-absorbing surfaces made up of specific materials that trap and “break up” the sound waves, thereby deadening sound reflection.
LvB Italia panels help to reduce background noise but are not just limited to this. We create versatile products, with original shapes, in 100% recycled and recyclable materials, that you can customize as you wish, to add a special touch to an office, conference room, a restaurant or any space.
Do you want to learn more about our products? Contact us for a free, customized consultation!
