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Hot take: that expensive soundproofing foam I bought three years ago was a total waste
So back in 2021 I was building my first real home theater in my basement here outside Omaha. I dropped $200 on those acoustic foam panels everyone talks about, the wedge shaped ones. Stuck em all over the walls thinking I was being smart. Then last week my buddy who does audio installs for a living came over and laughed his head off. He told me I basically just decorated my room and barely touched the actual sound issues. The foam only kills high frequencies, not the boominess or echo that actually ruins a movie night. He showed me how to make my own bass traps using rockwool insulation and fabric from Joann Fabrics for like $40 total. Now I gotta peel all this foam off and start over. Has anyone else fallen for the foam trap or am I the only one who learned this the hard way?
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aaronrobinson10d ago
Funny enough I actually went with the OC703 after my buddy set me straight, @harper_singh18, so you're spot on about the rockwool shedding issue. I wrapped mine in burlap from a local fabric store because the guy said it breathes better than most of the Joann stuff, and it's held up fine for six months. Just wish I'd done the research before covering my whole room in useless foam back in 2021, feels like I'm looking at a $200 mistake every time I walk in there.
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harper_singh1810d ago
Hang on, are you sure rockwool is safe for open air in a home theater? Most folks I know who build their own traps use OC703 or similar rigid fiberglass, not the fluffy rockwool you’d put inside a wall. Rockwool can shed fibers and irritate your lungs if it’s not sealed tight, and it doesn’t hold its shape as well for a freestanding panel. Plus, you’ll want to wrap it in a specific acoustically transparent fabric, not just any cloth from Joann’s because regular fabric can block the sound too. Just want to make sure you don’t waste that foam money and then accidentally create a dust problem. Double check the material specs before you start cutting.
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