Mutemat

Enclosures and acoustic damping to help quiet them.

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StarfishChris
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Mutemat

Post by StarfishChris » Tue Apr 12, 2005 7:53 am

Just saw a link come up on Google ads

http://www.mutemat.co.uk

It claims to be a better sound absorber than acoustic foams because it is made with very fine fibre, which gives it a lower density & smaller pores. It seems like it's only just gone up - google search only returns one correct match, for someone who used it and noticed a difference. I wonder how it fares in already-quiet systems?

It's only available online right now, £16 for 2 large and 2 small sheets. Not bad if it works as well as they say. There is one with acoustic barrier mass coming out shortly (should be comparable to AcoustiPack?) and one that watercools the processor at the same time - should be interesting!

edz
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Post by edz » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:20 am

Thanks for the link - looks interesting. I just sent off an email inquiring about a release date for the MuteMat Plus.

Aleksi
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Post by Aleksi » Tue Apr 12, 2005 9:44 am

The price is OK, 30€ shipped inside EU. So really not that expensive, cheap enough to just test it without actual need. Would be interesting to see a review of it though prior to ordering. It doesn't look like the conventional acoustic foams. Would be interesting to see a closeup of the structure.

The only downside is, that the online ordering requires payment via PayPal. Just don't like using it.

Edit: Just noticed on their links page, that they have a link to SPCR :wink: and a guide about "how to make a quiet pc" coming up

Mr Flibble
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Post by Mr Flibble » Tue Apr 12, 2005 11:59 am

edz wrote:Thanks for the link - looks interesting. I just sent off an email inquiring about a release date for the MuteMat Plus.
Make sure you post up their reply please - this could be exactly what I'm after.

The whole "watercooled" insulation seems pretty bonkers though?

GenghiS_KhaN
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Post by GenghiS_KhaN » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:12 pm

Do you guys find the sound absorption rating or something on the site? Cuz i thought you could compare dampening materials by some sort of rating, going from 0.00 to 1.00?

Looks very promising, i'll just wait for some comments and I probably buy it too.

I wonder how much the plus package will cost

Aleksi
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Post by Aleksi » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:19 pm

The site seems a bit poor regarding info...

Haven't even found a decent picture of the product. Just want to see it isn't toilet paper wrapped inside a rubber carpet. :roll:

GenghiS_KhaN
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Post by GenghiS_KhaN » Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:48 pm

http://www.mutemat.co.uk/images/MuteMat ... -large.jpg

I think it looks like this without the green stuff at the bottom. THis is a pic of the plus version btw...

cansan
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Post by cansan » Tue Apr 12, 2005 2:50 pm

According to the (very basic) acoustics course I took last year, this might be the hot ticket. We didn't much consider the practical applications in the course, but one of the key points on sound absorptive materials was:

Fibrous structure - As the sound waves hit the fibres, they are supposed to rub each other and dissipate sound as heat...

Low density - (Although I can't remember any numbers right now)

All other damping sheets I've seen are ... foam. They don't look fibrous at all, they look just porous. (Is this how porous is spelled?)

dano
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Post by dano » Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:26 pm

As khan (kind of) said the site doesnt list any NRC numbers so this stuff could be great or it could be a bust. Not much telling without numbers, that graph looks a bit dubious.

StarfishChris
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Post by StarfishChris » Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:35 pm

Yes. Porous. :)

I sent an email too, let's see what they come up with. My PC is bare steel at the moment and I think it could do with some carpet. :lol:
MuteMat FAQ wrote:We would NOT recommend using MuteMat directly against hard disc drives (HDDs) as a method for vibrational noise dampening (although it is quite effective!), as these components normally require cool air circulation around them or good contact with metal for direct heat transfer.
I added the bold for scanners, but that comment might tempt some people to make good(?) use of the leftovers - just make sure you follow the Drive Decoupling Safety Manual. And don't stick it on the drive itself unless you want it permanently quiet! :twisted:

Edit: the FAQ got changed to make it clearer that you shouldn't cover disks with the stuff.
Last edited by StarfishChris on Wed Apr 13, 2005 7:56 am, edited 2 times in total.

cansan
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Post by cansan » Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:46 pm

Do you guys find the sound absorption rating or something on the site? Cuz i thought you could compare dampening materials by some sort of rating, going from 0.00 to 1.00?
It is called the absorption coefficient. Scale: 0 to 1. It is on the graph plotted vs. frequency.

Well the thing wrong (or iffy) about the graph is: "Absorption Coefficient Normal Incidence"

I think this is the test performed in an acoustic impedance tube where all the sound waves strike the material perpendicularly. However in a normal case or room or any other real world situation, the sound waves will strike the material at random angles. The difference is that to test random incidence, you need a special room and you need to line most of it with the material... So it is much more relevant but also much more complicated and expensive to do.

As I remember, even though the numbers for normal incidence are not useful for random incidence, different materials can still be compared. I think that 99.9% of the time one material that is better in normal incidence will also be better in random incidence. So even though the graph is not directly applicable, it is an indicator for the material (if they are honest about the data on the graph).

mutemat
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MuteMat Plus

Post by mutemat » Wed Apr 13, 2005 3:08 am

With regard to MuteMat Plus, we are currently in the process of evaluating the performance of several different high density layers to determine which is 'the best one for the job'. Once the material has been chosen we will then be able to determine the price, and also a time when it will be available. Just keep an eye on the web site, as the information will be announced there. Hopefully by the end of the week or early next week I should be able to give you a rough date and price.

Once MuteMat Plus is available we will be looking to sending both these products for review. Again, information will be put on the website closer to the time.
If you have any questions please contact us - [email protected] or visit our site http://www.mutemat.co.uk

We have also included a close up picture of MuteMat on the information page. Hope this helps.

Regards

The MuteMat Team

slimeballzz
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Post by slimeballzz » Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:45 pm

Hmm I wonder how it would compare with this combination:

Item#: 54995T22

Item#: 9709T19

Moderator Edit: Fixed oversized links. :evil:

GenghiS_KhaN
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Post by GenghiS_KhaN » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:38 pm

so do you have any more info yet on the plus version?

Is there any other paying possibility than through paypal as I dont have a paypal account...

Thats one of the things holding me from ordering a standard set...

slimeballzz
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Post by slimeballzz » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:47 pm

I'm also waiting on the plus version. How thick is that stuff?


MuteMat Cool looks interesting also but what questions me is where does the heat go? It has an integrated heat exchanger where the hot water will go through it and the heat is just "lost"?..

StarfishChris
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Post by StarfishChris » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:39 pm

I assumed it would stick to the case walls and use them as large radiators (convectors!).

mutemat
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MuteMat Plus

Post by mutemat » Mon Apr 25, 2005 4:30 am

MuteMat Plus is finally ready - See our website for more details:

Talz
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Post by Talz » Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:37 am

Get some sent out for review! :)

I'm buying a new case in June and it's likely I'll decide to dampen it. And a US retailer would be nice to.

sionnach
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Post by sionnach » Mon Apr 25, 2005 12:28 pm

this stuff sure looks a lot better than the foam kits, but i'd like to see an independent review of it before i go buying it next month for my new pc

mutemat
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Post by mutemat » Tue May 03, 2005 2:32 pm

Will hopefully be sending a sample to Mike Chin soon for testing & review.

Watch this space.

sionnach
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Post by sionnach » Wed May 04, 2005 1:47 am

awesome, can't wait to see how it performs.

nuttybing
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Post by nuttybing » Wed May 04, 2005 3:31 am

Looks really good too with its price, might be comparable to Acoustipak...hmm any ideas of its weight?

mutemat
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Weight question

Post by mutemat » Thu May 05, 2005 3:05 am

Mutemat universal is very light due to the microfibres. 0.3kg. Mutemat plus uses a heavy second layer so the kit weighs approximately 2kg.

mutemat
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Post by mutemat » Tue May 17, 2005 12:44 am

We can also accept other payment methods, such as cheque and money transfer. Please contact us for further details or if you have any questions: [email protected]

Regards

MuteMat Team

sionnach
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Post by sionnach » Sun May 22, 2005 4:01 am

mutemat wrote:Will hopefully be sending a sample to Mike Chin soon for testing & review.

Watch this space.
any updates on this?

Japesgalore
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Post by Japesgalore » Sun May 22, 2005 5:31 am

Looks interesting. I'll soon be taking the plunge (that is, when I get round to buying a new pc) and padding up. I'm now torn between Nexus's DamTek foam and this MuteMat. Who has experience of either? The website also pointed out that the fraying of foam can cause dust-related problems. Anyone know anything more about the DampTek in relation to this? The Nexus is white, meaning that I can get some UV lights to make the thing look funky. If I get the black MuteMat I'll probably settle for some slightly more expensive neon lighting. Ooooooooooh, too many options!

Japesgalore
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Post by Japesgalore » Sat May 28, 2005 9:41 am

Bumpadumpus. . .

Cos I have a question. I haven't found the answer to this anywhere on the net. . . how thick is the MuteMat Plus?

Thanks

mutemat
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Post by mutemat » Wed Jun 01, 2005 2:15 am

Thanks for the question, sorry for the delay in replying:

How Thick Are the Kits?
The standard MuteMat material is 19mm thick and the kit weighs about 0.3Kg. For the Plus kit we add a 1.5mm High Density barrier layer which is designed to help stop the case from vibrating and also act as an acoustic barrier and the combined thickness is about 21.5mm, this kit weighs about 1.8Kg.

Do these Materials Compress?
The 19mm thick MuteMat layer has a non-woven, micro-fibre structure which makes it VERY compressible. This enables it to be fitted more easily to the case and so it can be applied to narrow areas of the case where 19mm would not fit. The barrier layer in the plus kit is high density, and will not compress.

Does Compressing the Material Reduce Performance?
This material is VERY compressible, and can be compressed to less then 1mm. If the material is GREATLY compressed, this forces the micro-fibres closer together and can lead to a very slight loss in absorption performance. We minimise this loss by the ultra fine structural composition of the material.

Hope this helps. If we can help you further please contact us.

Regarding sending sample kits to Silent PC Review, this should be happening in the next few weeks. I will put a post on this thread when we do.

Regards

Mutemat Team

GenghiS_KhaN
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Post by GenghiS_KhaN » Wed Jun 01, 2005 9:26 am

mutemat wrote:T
Regarding sending sample kits to Silent PC Review, this should be happening in the next few weeks. I will put a post on this thread when we do.
I'm still waiting for this before i spend my 30€, thats a lot for a poor student, so it'd better be good :P

StarfishChris
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Post by StarfishChris » Wed Jun 01, 2005 2:39 pm

Got an email saying my order (Plus) was ready. Hopefully I'll get it before the end of the week and I'll report back with my findings.

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