Threw $150 at a 'soundproof' partition and my neighbor's dog still comes through loud and clear

I got this fancy acoustic panel system from some online shop after reading reviews that swore it would kill noise from the apartment next door. Paid $150 for three panels with all the foam backing and clips. Set it up last Saturday right between my desk and the wall. The dog barking still cuts through like nothing's there. So now I'm stuck with these panels that do nothing for actual sound but look kinda cool. Anybody know if the cheap DIY rockwool panels actually work better for this?

3 comments

3 Comments

bell.jessica20h ago

Foam panels are really just for killing echo in a room, not blocking sound from coming through a wall. It's like putting a bandaid on a broken pipe. The rockwool panels can help a little more if you build them thick enough and leave an air gap behind them, but even then sound travels through the wall structure itself. All those online marketing people selling "soundproofing" gear are just cashing in on people like us who don't know the difference.

viola_garcia5618h ago

I see what you're saying about foam just killing echo, but I've actually had pretty good luck layering thicker foam panels with a heavy moving blanket behind them... it's not perfect but it cut down enough noise from my neighbor's TV to make a real difference.

rowan_ross14h ago

Layered a thick rug on the wall with curtain weights and it helped a ton with my neighbor's bass.