What is reverbation?
Have you ever shouted something at the mountains? They always answer back with an echo: the sound is reflected by the rock walls and returns after a certain amount of time.In enclosed spaces, this time is much shorter, and the reflected sound is not as clear (or as fun) as it is in the mountains or in large open spaces.
Reverberation occurs when the direct sound wave blends, in the listener’s ear, with the reflected wave — while echo occurs when the two sounds are distinct and separately perceived.
In physics and acoustics, reverberation is an acoustic phenomenon linked to the reflection of a sound wave by an obstacle placed in front of the sound source.
Source: Wikipedia
In everyday life, we associate it with the discomfort caused by background noise — for example, when we try to have a conversation in a restaurant but can hear our neighbours more clearly than our tablemates; or at work, when we simply cannot concentrate because, in our ultra-modern open space, every sound can be heard and making a phone call or talking to a colleague becomes almost impossible.
However, reverberation can also be considered positive in certain situations, as it provides a sense of spatial depth and a three-dimensional quality to both sound and environment.
We have all probably entered a large hall and shouted just to feel the vastness of the space.
It’s beautiful to think that every space has its own acoustic character, making it unique and unrepeatable.
Of course, this character is less welcome when concentration or a quiet conversation is needed.
It’s no surprise, then, that in professional music recording, reverberation effects are simulated through specific tools to reproduce the acoustic richness that would otherwise be missing or barely perceptible.
At LvB Italia, we make sure that reverberation does not become a source of disturbance in conversation or a distraction during moments requiring focus.
The perception of acoustic discomfort arises when the reverberation time (measured in seconds) exceeds a certain threshold.
That’s precisely when it’s time to act — either through structural measures or by installing sound-absorbing acoustic panels.
How do sound-absorbing panels affect reverberation?
The reflection of sound is influenced by the geometry of the space, its volume, and the materials that make it up.Walls, furniture, people, and objects can all cause reflection, diffusion, or absorption of sound waves.
In most of the spaces where we live or work, structural materials and furniture are already in place.That’s why the best solution is to add mobile sound-absorbing elements, such as our acoustic panels.
To reduce reverberation, we decrease reflective surfaces by adding sound-absorbing ones — made of materials that trap and “break” sound waves, thereby reducing reflection and echo.
Acoustic panels perform exactly this function… and if they also improve visual privacy, even better!
Here are a couple of simple diagrams that illustrate how sound-absorbing panels act in a space with excessive reverberation:
they reduce the intensity of the reflected sound waves with each reflection, limiting both their perception and the resulting discomfort.
Conclusions:
Whenever you notice acoustic discomfort, it’s important to intervene promptly to avoid negative effects such as irritability, loss of focus, or — in the case of restaurants — even loss of clientele.
Among LvB Italia’s products, you’ll certainly find effective and elegant solutions, as well as many examples among our past projects.
Request your free acoustic assessment today!
