Glass or Acrylic , the better sound dampener
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Glass or Acrylic , the better sound dampener
As the thread title states, w/c material dampens sound better ?
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CallmeRoth
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Who said it's more fragile? The glass used for aquariums is by no means "fragile", not to mention 4" thick laminated bullet proof glass...EarlZ wrote:Why is choosing glass bad, aside that its more fragile..
The tricky part is that it's much harder, both physically and in terms of working with it.
A single side wall, made of aquarium glass as thick as you can afford, could be feasible though.
Cheers
Olle
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spookmineer
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I don't know...
Glass is more reflective but it's heavier, denser.
Acrylic is less reflective, lighter but also dense (heavier doesn't always mean more dense). Acrylic could even move a little (?) from the noise it is exposed to, transferring part of it to ambient.
Also considering it's easier to work with, I would go with acrylic.
Glass is more reflective but it's heavier, denser.
Acrylic is less reflective, lighter but also dense (heavier doesn't always mean more dense). Acrylic could even move a little (?) from the noise it is exposed to, transferring part of it to ambient.
Also considering it's easier to work with, I would go with acrylic.
Glass will reflect sound but it's weight will help dampen a case panel. However, even aquarium glass is fragile at the ends (where damage from a dropped panel is likely to happen) and does not handle typical mounting methods (screws, bolts, rivets) well without fracturing.
In the end, windows are anathema to keeping a case as quiet as it can be.
In the end, windows are anathema to keeping a case as quiet as it can be.
Last edited by jhhoffma on Tue Jan 27, 2009 11:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
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server_rack
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Our XRackPro2 Uses Glass
Glass, not acrylic, is used for our window of the XRackPro2 noise reducing rack.
I am not an engineer, but the engineers must have good reasons for choosing glass originally and not changing to acrylic in 8 years of production.
I am not an engineer, but the engineers must have good reasons for choosing glass originally and not changing to acrylic in 8 years of production.
No disrespect to other posters, but I believe for damping the answer is generally acrylic. Glass may well be used in a number of sound blocking applications, but in general its rigidity will transmit vibrations much more faithfully than acrylic.
Of course it very much depends on the type and thickness you are talking about, as there are many different variations of both glass and acrylic (for example I wouldn't recommend the lighter, more brittle varieties of acrylic). The best way to test for any substance's dampening properties is to rap it with your knuckle. With glass you will generally get quite a loud "tink", whereas for the same size and shape of acrylic you will get a much quieter "thud".
High density acrylic has found many uses in audio where its "less excitable" properties are desired, including transcriptor platters and loudspeaker cabinets. It's also easier to work with than glass.
Having said all that, I think for a low-intensity "non-audio" application such as a PC case, other considerations such as price and availability would be more important.
[flame on]
Of course it very much depends on the type and thickness you are talking about, as there are many different variations of both glass and acrylic (for example I wouldn't recommend the lighter, more brittle varieties of acrylic). The best way to test for any substance's dampening properties is to rap it with your knuckle. With glass you will generally get quite a loud "tink", whereas for the same size and shape of acrylic you will get a much quieter "thud".
High density acrylic has found many uses in audio where its "less excitable" properties are desired, including transcriptor platters and loudspeaker cabinets. It's also easier to work with than glass.
Having said all that, I think for a low-intensity "non-audio" application such as a PC case, other considerations such as price and availability would be more important.
[flame on]
How about using a mixture, Acrylic outside, attached in the normal fashion to the case (you could easily use the original side), then affix glass to the inside with some suitable glue.
That way you can get round the mounting problems of having to drill holes in glass, and the reflective qualities of the glass will be drastically reduced on the outside as there is acrylic there (ideally with an air gap like double glased windows have).
Just a thought.
Andy
That way you can get round the mounting problems of having to drill holes in glass, and the reflective qualities of the glass will be drastically reduced on the outside as there is acrylic there (ideally with an air gap like double glased windows have).
Just a thought.
Andy
