8 Reasons Why Acoustic Foam Is So Expensive

Acoustic foam is an excellent product to have and install in your home if you need to control the sound levels. It is often used for home theaters and music recording studios. To build a space that can moderate the sound level, you must pay quite a bit for good-quality acoustic foam.

Here are 8 reasons why acoustic foam is so expensive:

Acoustic foam is a highly specialized product.
Acoustic foam is made to last a long time.
Acoustic foam has a complex manufacturing process.
Large pieces of acoustic foam are needed.
Acoustic foam is made using advanced technology.
The attenuation process increases its price.
Acoustic foam pieces are very thick.
The shape of acoustic foam can be very unique.

This article will explore in-depth each of the eight reasons why acoustic foam is so expensive. Read on so you can learn some new things which you may not have known. This will also help you decide if investing in the installation of acoustic foam in your home is right for you.

Table of Contents

Acoustic Foam Is a Highly Specialized Product

Acoustic foam is not a product that can be found in your local stores. It is a highly specialized product created for a niche group of people who need it for a specific purpose. Usually, people do not go looking for acoustic foam on their daily shopping trips.

People who work with music or in video production often need to purchase products like acoustic foam to help moderate the amount of sound within a confined space.

The purpose of the acoustic foam is to significantly improve the acoustics in the room in which it will be placed. Sound waves enter into the foam and get stuck, meaning that they will not leave the foam.

The demand for such a specific product is relatively high. Due to popular demand, companies that produce acoustic foam can charge steep prices. These are the fundamentals of supply and demand when it comes to acoustic foam.

It can be hard to get acoustic foam, so businesses can ask for high prices. They feel justified that in making such a specialized item, they can inflate the cost as well.

Acoustic Foam Is Made To Last a Long Time

Getting your hands on acoustic foam can prove tricky due to the demand for the product, but once you have purchased it, you will be pleased that it will last for a very long period of time.

Since the acoustic foam is a long-lasting item, customers will not need to purchase it often or multiple times. Therefore the producers of acoustic foam can demand high costs.

People want to make sure they have a product that lasts a long time if they have to pay so much for it. Locating, purchasing, and installing acoustic foam takes a lot of time, effort, and discipline, even if you have help with the installation process, so be sure to invest in something that will keep you happy for many years.

Check out my ultimate guide to the best flooring for recording studios at home.

Acoustic Foam Has a Complex Manufacturing Process

Creating and manufacturing a high-quality product with longevity usually takes a longer time to make. And if you want to purchase such a product, you should expect to pay a premium price.

The mechanics of the acoustic foam itself are pretty intricate and complex. The structure of the foam is made like open cells. The manufacturers need to make the empty cells with great detail so that the acoustic foam functions correctly.

The better the sound is absorbed, the better the product will be. This increases the price for a product that requires so much time and effort to create.

Consumers want a product that works, so they are willing to pay more for something of excellent quality that will last a long time.

Several Pieces of Acoustic Foam Are Needed

To moderate the sound in a room or another type of enclosed space, you will need multiple pieces of acoustic foam to achieve your goal.

Depending on the size of your room, this could be quite a sizable amount. And each piece of acoustic foam will contribute to the overall cost.

Despite its priciness, it is good to go ahead and get as much foam as you need to control the sound waves in the room. You may even need to cover the entire space from the ceiling to the floor.

If you are going to record music, you want to eliminate as much extraneous noise as possible. The same goes with watching a movie. Who wants background noise when they are watching their favorite scenes?

Acoustic Foam Is Made Using Advanced Technology

As you have already read, acoustic foam is quite complex to make. It requires machines and processes that have to be updated regularly.

In order to create products that can absorb sound and be of the utmost quality, specific materials and methods are used to develop the best acoustic foams on the market.

The Attenuation Process Increases Its Price

Have you ever noticed that acoustic foam is bumpy as opposed to flat? Well, there is a specific reason why it’s made that way.

Attenuation is the process of reducing sound waves. This is why acoustic foam pieces are bumpy. If they were flat pieces of foam, the sound waves would not be absorbed well or at all.

So if you are making music or watching a movie in your home in a room where you have installed acoustic foam, you will have decreased echo and reverberation through the process of attenuation.

So, it may be expensive, but the acoustic foam is an excellent investment in soundproofing your home and creating a better multimedia experience.

The Pieces of Acoustic Foam Are Very Thick

There are different types of acoustic foam available.

Generally speaking, the thicker a piece is, the more durable and practical it is. Furthermore, the thicker it is, the more difficult it will be for extraneous sound to seep through the other side of the foam once it is absorbed.

Thicker pieces of acoustic foam will be absorbed at different levels of frequency waves: high, mid, and low. Thus the hike in price for acoustic foam will serve you better in your personal space.

It would help if you also made sure that the foam is thick and very dense. Acoustic foam that is not dense results in more space between the molecules that make up the foam’s material.

With more space within the foam, more sound waves will be released and go straight back into your room, thus defeating the purpose of installing the foam in the first place.

So you should definitely invest in the thicker, denser acoustic foam.

The Shape of Acoustic Foam Can Be Very Unique

Let’s say the room in which you are trying to manipulate the sound is oddly shaped. Perhaps it is not four perfectly square walls.

In the event that you have odd crevices or walls angled at different points, you will want to purchase acoustic foam that perfectly fits that space. If you install ill-fitting foam, you will not attain your goal of regulating the sound waves within the room.

Purchasing different shapes of acoustic foam will undoubtedly require you to pay more. The pieces will have to be produced in the shape you are requesting, so the manufacturers will have to put in much more time and effort.

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