Soundproofing Panels vs Acoustic Panels: What Works in an Office

Posted by Panelscreens on 11th Oct 2026

If you search for soundproofing panels, most of what comes up are soft fabric or foam panels. They are excellent at making a room quieter. But they will not stop sound passing through a wall. Knowing the difference saves money and disappointment.

This guide explains what each type does, when you need which, and what to buy for a typical UK office.

Sound absorption and sound insulation are different jobs

There are two separate problems people mean when they say "soundproofing".

Echo and noise build-up inside a room. Hard surfaces like glass, plaster and concrete bounce speech around. Every conversation adds to the din. This is solved with sound absorption: soft, porous panels that soak up sound instead of reflecting it.
Noise travelling between rooms. Voices from a meeting room carry into the corridor, or the neighbour's music comes through the wall. This is solved with sound insulation: heavy, airtight construction that blocks sound from passing through.

Acoustic panels do the first job. True soundproofing does the second. Most offices actually have the first problem.

What acoustic panels do

Acoustic wall panels are made from a porous core, such as acoustic foam, mineral wool or PET felt, usually wrapped in fabric. Sound enters the core and loses energy as heat instead of bouncing back.

The result is a room that sounds calmer:

less echo when people talk
conversations that do not carry as far across an open-plan floor
better sound on video calls, because microphones pick up less room echo
a lower overall noise level, so people stop raising their voices

Panel performance is measured as an NRC (noise reduction coefficient) from 0 to 1. An NRC of 0.55 means the panel absorbs about 55% of the sound energy that hits it. Our Muffle acoustic wall panel has a 25mm sound-absorbing core with an NRC of 0.55, measured by Sound Research Laboratories in 2023.

What acoustic panels cannot do

Acoustic panels are light and porous, which is exactly why they absorb sound. It is also why they do very little to stop sound passing through a wall. Fixing panels to a thin partition will make both rooms sound better, but you will still hear the meeting next door.

If a supplier promises that a fabric wall panel will "soundproof" a room against noise from outside, be sceptical.

What real soundproofing involves

Stopping sound passing between spaces relies on three things:

Mass: heavier walls, extra layers of dense plasterboard
Airtightness: sealing gaps around doors, ceilings, sockets and service runs, because sound travels through any air gap
Decoupling: separating the two sides of a wall so vibration does not carry straight through

This is building work, usually done by a fit-out contractor. It is the right answer for a confidential HR room or a recording studio. It is overkill for an open-plan office that is simply too loud.

Which one do you need?

Your problem	What helps	Typical solution
Open-plan office feels loud and echoey	Absorption	Acoustic wall panels, ceiling panels, acoustic screens
Video calls sound hollow	Absorption	Wall panels behind and opposite desks
Speech carries between nearby desks	Absorption + blocking	Acoustic desk dividers and freestanding screens
People need private calls	Enclosure	Phone booths or office pods
Noise comes through a wall from next door	Insulation	Building work: mass, sealing, decoupling

For most offices the best results come from combining absorption with a little blocking: wall panels to cut echo, plus acoustic screens between teams.

Choosing acoustic wall panels for an office

Core thickness: thicker cores absorb more, especially lower-pitched sound. Around 25 to 50mm suits most offices.
Coverage: a common starting point is panels on 15 to 25% of the wall area. Our guide Do acoustic panels work? explains how many you need.
Placement: start on walls opposite each other and near noisy areas. See where to install sound insulation panels for layouts.
Fire safety: check the fabric's fire rating. Our Muffle panels are upholstered in Abbotsford Classic Melton wool, tested to EN 1021-1 and 2 and BS 5852 Crib 5.
Fixing: Muffle panels are supplied with industrial-strength Velcro, so no drilling is needed.
Look: fabric colour, shape and finish. We make panels in any colour, including brand matching.

Our acoustic wall panels range includes made-to-measure Muffle panels from 400 to 2000mm wide and 400 to 1200mm high, frameless 40mm Quad Fan tiles, and natural cork panels. Muffle wall panels start from £82.50 ex VAT.

Frequently asked questions

Do soundproofing panels really work?

Acoustic panels work very well for reducing echo and noise inside a room. They do not stop sound travelling through walls. For that you need building work that adds mass and seals gaps.

What is the difference between acoustic panels and soundproofing?

Acoustic panels absorb sound inside a room. Soundproofing blocks sound from passing between rooms. They solve different problems.

Will acoustic panels stop noise from next door?

Only slightly. They are too light and porous to block sound through a wall, though they will make your own room sound calmer.

How many acoustic panels does an office need?

A good starting point is covering 15 to 25% of the wall area, more in very hard, echoey rooms. Send us your floor plan and we will recommend a layout.