Years ago, people didn’t give much thought to office background noise. Sound effect issues were rarely studied because many office workers were either executives who worked in closed offices or employees who were expected to deal with whatever environmental factors were present. Today, however, many offices are laid out according to an open workspace plan, meaning there are few — if any — closed offices. This setup is believed to . . .

One of the most important things to know when it comes to a soundproofing product is its NRC rating. So what is NRC in acoustics and why is it so important for soundproofing? The NRC Rating Explained NRC stands for Noise Reduction Coefficient, and it’s a measure of how much sound a soundproofing product can absorb on average. If something is absorbing the sound in a room, that means you . . .

If you have trouble focusing at work, you know that anything and everything can turn into a distraction. Bosses talking at the water cooler yank you out of your zone, while coworkers pounding away on keyboards throw a wrench in your focus. You probably want to avoid noise at all costs, but you can use it to your advantage — just not this kind. What offers the most benefits is . . .

You probably know that the sound you hear is the result of sound waves. But what are sound waves, exactly? What are their characteristics? And how do they work? Here’s everything you need to know. Wavelength: The most important characteristic of sound waves may be the wavelength. Sound consists of a longitudinal wave that includes compressions and rarefactions as they travel through a given medium. The distance that one wave travels . . .

Traffic noise, especially car noise, can be some of the worst kind of noise pollution. The loudest cars are usually the oldest ones. Internal combustion engines make a lot of noise, and not only are older cars less likely to have measures in place to dampen noise, but they’re also more likely to have loose or worn-out parts under the hood rattling around and creating even more noise pollution. It . . .