FAQ About Noise
March 28th, 20081. What is Noise?
2. What is the Ambient Noise?
3. What is dB?
4. What is dB(A) or “A-weighted” means?
5. At what level does sound become unsafe?
6. What is reverberation time?
7. What is the sound absorption coefficient?
8. What is NRC?
9. What is the difference between insulation & absorption?
10. Why do i need acoustic treatment when i can buy a processor to do the same thing?
11. How do i get help improving my listening room?
12. How do i improve the noise insulation of my house?
13. How can i soundproof my room?
14. How much money that i have to spend?
VISIT ISTIQ WEBSITE AT WWW.ISTIQ.NET
1. What is Noise? [top]
Defined as the unwanted sound which may be hazardous to health, interferes with communications or is disturbing.
2. What is the Ambient Noise? [top]
Ambient Noise is also known as background noise. It is a sound level at given environments
3. What is dB? [top]
dB is the abbreviation for “decibels”. A common unit for loudness. It is a logarithmic ratio of sound pressure level to a reference level. Acousticians use the dB scale for the following reasons:
a) Quantities of interest often exhibit such huge ranges of variation that a dB scale is more convenient than a linear scale.
b) The human ear interprets loudness on a scale much closer to a logarithmic scale than a linear scale.
4. What is dB(A) or “A-weighted” means? [top]
dB(A) or “A-weighted” is a sound level perceived or heard by human ears.
5. At what level does sound become unsafe? [top]
It is best, where possible, to avoid any unprotected exposure to sound pressure levels above 100dB(A). Use hearing protection when exposed to levels above 85dB(A), especially if prolonged exposure is expected. Damage to hearing from loud noise is cumulative and is irreversible.
6. What is reverberation time? [top]
The reverberation time, RT, is defined as the time taken for sound energy to decay in a room by 60 dB. It is dependent on the room volume and its total absorption. In simple terms this refers to the amount of time it takes for sound energy to bounce around a room before being absorbed by the materials and air.
7. What is the sound absorption coefficient? [top]
The path length and the efficiency of the wall in reflecting sound determine the amplitude of a particular reflection. That efficiency is described as the absorption coefficient (any sound not reflected is absorbed). The coefficient of absorption is a number between 0 and 1, with 1 representing total absorption (an open window) and 0 representing total reflection.
8. What is NRC? [top]
NRC is the abbreviation of Noise Reduction Coefficient. It is defined as the average absorption measured at 250, 500, 1000, and 2000 Hz of a certain material
9. What is the difference between insulation & absorption? [top]
Sound insulation is required in order to eliminate the sound path from a source to a receiver such as between apartments in a building, or to reduce unwanted external noise inside a concert hall. Heavy materials like concrete tend to be the best materials for sound insulation.
Sound absorption occurs when some or all of the incident sound energy is either converted into heat or passes through the absorber. Although insulation and absorption are of different concepts, there are many examples where the use of sound absorbers will improve insulation.
10. Why do I need acoustic treatment when I can buy a processor to do the same thing? [top]
If you want to hear the very best effects processors can do, then make sure you have as good a sound-stage as possible. Only a room with good reverberation time, a diffuse sound field and as few acoustic artifacts as possible will demonstrate just how amazing these processors can sound. Determining the amount of each treatment needed and where to place that treatment is the first step to achieve a balanced listening environment.Call ISTIQ Noise Control Sdn. Bhd. Phone No. 03-91727205, or E-Mail us at nonoise@istiq.com
11. How do I get help improving my listening room? [top]
Supplying ISTIQ team with a rough drawing and dimensions, location of windows and doors, speaker placement, and listening position is the place to start. Remember, the drawing does not have to be a very complex one since we only want to give you some useful suggestions on what, where, and how much acoustic treatment you should use.Call ISTIQ Noise Control Sdn. Bhd. Phone No. 03-9848704, 03-9848680, or E-Mail us at anuar@istiq.com
12. How do I improve the noise insulation of my house? [top]
Sound insulation is most often asked for in order to keep out unwanted noise, but is occasionally requested for the purpose of minimizing disturbance to others. The following ideas may serve as guidelines.
You may need to consider noise penetration through the roof, floors, ceilings and walls. Noise through existing walls (brick wall) can be reduced by the addition of another layer of wall. This is constructed from a layer of sound insulating material, commonly plasterboard, separated from the existing wall by a large void containing acoustic infill. The new wall must not be connected to the existing wall because that would allow sound transmission paths through vibration. The quality of construction is an important consideration if optimal levels of attenuation are desired. We, at ISTIQ, can help you to realize the peaceful environment that you’ve been looking for.
13. How can I soundproof my room? [top]
ISTIQ team can give you lots of little tricks to improve the isolation of a particular space. There are inexpensive things you can do now or mor e effective techniques you may want to try later. All spaces have weak links and we will help you find them. A rough drawing with dimensions, location of windows and doors, speaker placement, and listening position is the place to start. Call ISTIQ Noise Control at: 603-91727205. You can also fax us at 603-91727204, or E-Mail us at nonoise@istiq.com
14. How much money that I have to spend? [top]
It is generally not possible to give a firm indication of likely costs on this site, as each particular investigation or report will vary in the time it will take, and the resources that are necessary to achieve a successful conclusion. For this reason, it is essential that we provide you with a written quotation in advance. There is no charge for this service, which will usually entail a site visit. Under some circumstances, it may be possible to give either an indicative estimate or even a firm quotation if sufficient information can be obtained prior to a visit.
Our quotes give a clear indication of the extent of the contract and what you can expect to be contained in the final report. If you would like to e-mail ISTIQ Noise Control to discuss your requirements, please click here.
