The 10 Best Acoustic Panels For Home Studios In 2022 [Buyer’s Guide]

As your home studio setup evolves, you’re going to start looking for ways to further improve the sound quality of your recordings. Inevitably, you’re going to get to the point where treating your studio is the only way to do just that. The very first step on that journey is to find the best acoustic panels to install on your walls in order to eliminate some of those pesky early reflections.

Now, to be fair, adding some acoustic foam panels and diffuser panels isn’t the only thing you’ll need for proper treatment, but it is a good place to start. In this article, we’re going to go over all the factors to consider when looking at acoustic panels as well as my top picks of the best acoustic panels on the market today.

Before we go any further though, we need to go over why acoustic treatment is necessary. Not only that, but it’s important to learn about the different types of acoustic panels themselves so you can determine exactly what you need for your studio.

Quick Picks – Best Acoustic Panels

Image	Product	Score	Price
TOP PICK	Auralex Acoustics Studiofoam Wedgies Treatment Type: Absorption — Number of Panels: 6, 12, 16, 18, or 24 — Dimensions: 12" x 12" Panels — NRC: 0.80 — Coverage: 24 sq. ft./panel — Material: Foam	9.8	View On AmazonView At Guitar Center
RUNNER-UP	Pro Studio Acoustics Wedge Foam Treatment Type: Absorption — Number of Panels: 12 — Dimensions: 12" x 12" x 2” — NRC: 0.65 — Coverage: 12 sq. ft./panel — Material: Foam	9.7	View On Amazon
ALL-IN-ONE	Primacoustic London 10 Treatment Type: Absorption — Number of Panels: 8 Columns, 12 Blocks — Coverage: 4 sq. ft./column piece, 1 sq. ft./block piece — Construction: Fiberglass — Mounting Materials: Anchors, Screws	9.6	View On AmazonView At Guitar Center
EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE	ATS Acoustics Absorption Panel Treatment Type: Absorption — Number of Panels: 1 — Dimensions: 24" x 48" x 2” — NRC: 1.0 — Material: Roxul AFB Mineral Wool, Wood	9.5	View On Amazon
BUDGET PICK	Foamily Pyramid Foam Panels Treatment Type: Absorption — Number of Panels: 6 — Dimensions: 12" x 12" x 2” — NRC: 0.45 — Coverage: 12 sq. ft./panel — Material: Foam	9.2	View On Amazon

Quick Picks – Best Diffuser Panels

Image	Product	Score	Price
TOP PICK	UA Acoustics Wooden Sound Diffuser Treatment Type: Diffusion, Absorption — Number of Panels: 4 — Dimensions: 19.7” x 19.7” x 2.1” — NRC: 0.68 — Coverage: 10.78ft² — Material: Wood	9.7	View On Amazon
RUNNER-UP	Primacoustic FlexiFuser Combination Diffuser Treatment Type: Diffusion, Absorption — Number of Panels: 1 — Dimensions: 24” x 48” x3” — NRC: Not Listed — Material: High-Density Glass Wool, Wood	9.6	View At AmazonView At Guitar Center
WELL-ROUNDED	ATS Acoustics Diffuser Panel Treatment Type: Diffusion — Number of Panels: 1 — Dimensions: 22-7/8"x 22-7/8" x 6.5" — Scatter Range: 325 Hz - 3 kHz — Material: Wood	9.4	View On Amazon
BUDGET PICK	Troy Studio Sound Diffuser Panel Treatment Type: Diffusion — Number of Panels: 16 — Dimensions: 12'' X 12'' X 1'' — Material: PVC Plastic	9.2	View On Amazon
ALTERNATIVE PICK	BXI Sound Diffuser Treatment Type: Diffusion — Number of Panels: 1 — Dimensions: 24'' X 24'' X 2.8'' — Scatter Range: 544Hz to 24571Hz — Material: Wood	9.1	View On Amazon

The Difference Between Sound Absorption & Soundproofing

First and foremost, it’s important to clarify that sound absorption and soundproofing are completely different things. It’s a fairly common misconception, and it’s pretty easy to understand why.

That being said, the difference between the two is pretty darn simple. Sound absorption is the method of controlling frequencies and sound waves whereas soundproofing is the method of isolating frequencies. 

In a studio environment, your goal is to absorb sounds, not completely eliminate them. Soundproofing is not what we’re after here by any means, and that is not the job that acoustic panels were made for. Moreover, acoustic foam and soundproofing foam are not one in the same either.

 Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…

Acoustic Treatment 101: A Brief Introduction

Almost every aspect of music production in a studio of any kind relies on good sound quality. If you’re monitoring a source sound that’s heavily distorted, then you’re not getting an accurate representation of that material. This can easily turn into a snowball effect and everything you record and mix will simply sound bad.

That’s where acoustic treatment comes into play. By adding some sound absorbing panels to your walls, you’re one step closer to controlling all of those wild frequencies that come from studio monitors and instruments.

The whole idea behind acoustic treatment is to limit sonic distortions and stop early reflections dead in their tracks. From there, the only thing you hear when monitoring is the most accurate representation of the source sound as possible. On top of that, acoustic treatment helps to tame frequencies when recording live sounds like drums, vocals, guitars, etc. In summary, treating your studio helps to make life easier for you and your microphones.

There are a number of different types of acoustic distortion. Let’s break those down real quick:

• Comb Filtering – when direct sound frequencies interact with reflected frequencies. In other words, comb filtering creates a “delay” or “flanger” effect to every sound in your studio. Acoustic panels help to absorb certain frequencies in an effort to make everything more balanced, which in turn helps to eliminate any comb filtering. Diffuser panels help here as well by dispersing sound waves, making them easier for acoustic foam panels to absorb.
• Decay – think of a choir singing in a huge church. Now imagine the choir as it abruptly stops singing all together. You’ll still hear some frequencies bouncing around everywhere even after they’re done singing. That’s decay. Now, decay isn’t entirely bad, but it can certainly become troublesome. Controlling decay too much will create an overly “dead” environment, which isn’t necessarily a good thing for a studio. You have to find a balance. Bass traps will help to control bass decay, and a mixture of diffuser and acoustic panels are needed as well here.
• Flutter Echo – this occurs when sound waves are bouncing off of any number of untreated parallel walls. This is by far the most disturbing form of acoustic distortion, but it’s also the easiest to treat. All you need here is some acoustic panels.
• Room Modes, Standing Waves, & Low-End Frequencies – this one is quite a bit more complicated and a lot of this depends on the size of your studio space. Essentially, we’re talking about bass frequencies here, and boy are they problematic. A healthy blend of corner traps and acoustic panels will go a long way here, but you first need to determine how the physical area of your studio affects these forms of distortion. Refer to the video below to learn more.

Hopefully now you can see why acoustic treatment is so vital. You’ll notice a world of difference in the overall sound quality of your studio equipment even after a minor amount of treatment is added. 

Now is the appropriate time to tell you that it’s extremely important not to overdo it with your acoustic treatment. The key is to find a balance. Remember, you’re trying to control sound waves and frequencies without completely destroying all of the sonic nuances in your studio. If you do that, then things will just sound unnatural.

Types Of Acoustic Panels

Now, there are four main tools that you can use for acoustic treatment:

1. Acoustic panels (a.k.a broadband absorber panels)
2. Diffuser panels
3. Bass traps
4. Monitor Isolation Pads

For the sake of this article, we will focus on acoustic panels and diffuser panels.

To break things down even further, it’s important to note that there are even more variations of acoustic panels themselves. Let me lay them out for you:

1. Flat
2. Egg Crate
3. Pyramid
4. Wedge
5. Grid

The most common types of panels used by producers in a home studio environment are foam usually in flat, eggcrate, or wedge forms. The different forms of acoustic panels don’t necessarily make the world’s biggest difference though. They all set out to do the same thing.

Diffuser Panels

So, we haven’t really touched on diffuser panels quite yet, but now is an appropriate time. Diffuser panels are predominantly used to break down and disperse sound waves evenly across a room.

This makes it easier for acoustic panels to absorb those broken down frequencies. Not only that, but it makes everything in your studio sound more ambient and natural. This whole process is meant to reduce all forms of distortion including comb filtering and flutter echo.

Diffuser panels will have jagged, uneven surfaces by design. They are typically not a cheap investment, but they can make a huge difference in your studio’s overall sound quality. Also, diffuser panels are really only effective in medium to large size spaces. If your studio is quite small, then they won’t do a whole lot for you.

Bass Traps

As I mentioned before, bass traps are essential for absorbing the most troublesome frequencies of all: the low-ends. Low-end bass frequencies can cause an endless list of distortion problems, so it’s very important to add some to the corners of your studio.

Bass traps function similarly to acoustic panels, but they’re more dense and are designed to fit snugly in the corners of a room. They are also usually inexpensive and pretty simple to install.

I will cover the best bass traps in a separate article in the future, so stay tuned!

Acoustic Panel Sizes & NRC Ratings

Acoustic panels come in a variety of thicknesses. You’re likely to see 1-inch, 2-inch, and 4-inch versions. For most home studio environments, a set of 2-inch acoustic panels will be perfect. 1-inch versions are cheap, but they don’t do as good of a job. 4-inch versions are extremely expensive and might do more harm than good unless you’re in a massive professional studio space.

Now, let’s talk about NRC rating, otherwise known as the Noise Reduction Coefficient Rating. This is meant to provide a scalable measurement of how well a product absorbs sound across a 125 Hz and 4 kHz frequency range. The scores are on a scale between 0 and 1.

Acoustic panels won’t typically have the score you’d expect them to have because they aren’t made for absorbing frequencies below 1 kHz. That’s what bass traps are for.

All of this is just to say that you shouldn’t pay too much attention to this rating. In fact, most manufacturers don’t even list the Noise Reduction Coefficient Rating in their technical specifications. While this rating can give you a general idea of the effectiveness of a particular set of acoustic panels, it’s not something that you should get too hung up on.

How Many Acoustic Panels Do You Need? 

This is entirely dependent on the size of your studio space and what materials exist in it. The best way to get an idea of how many square feet of acoustic paneling you need is to perform an acoustic analysis of your studio space.

There are a number of acoustic analyzer programs on the internet that will help you out with this, and most of them are completely free. Note that this should be your first step in your acoustic treatment endeavors.

Acoustic Panel Installation

Generally, acoustic panels are installed onto walls and ceilings with high-grade adhesives. In most cases, spray adhesive will do just fine, but it gets more complicated if you have uneven surfaces or wallpaper to deal with.

Sometimes, acoustic panel manufacturers will give you a full-blown mounting kit, but again this depends on the surface-type of your walls. For the sake of this article, I will direct you to the video and guide below for more information on installing your acoustic panels in your studio.

Guide: How To Install Acoustic Panels

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Best Acoustic Panels List

Alright, now that we’ve gone over the big stuff, it’s time to dive into my list of the best acoustic panels on the market. Keep in mind that this list will include options from the three main acoustic treatment tools: acoustic panels (foam and broadband absorber), and diffuser panels.

Let’s get into it!

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If you’re looking for a cost effective and efficient way to treat your studio space, then you can’t go wrong with a set of Auralex Acoustics StudioFoam panels. These acoustic foam panels are made of high-density foam and have an NRC of 0.80. 

Each pack gives you 24 panels that are 2-inches thick, which is the optimal thickness for most home recording studios. You can also choose from other pack counts such as a 6-pack, 12-pack, etc. Each acoustic panel in the pack is 12” by 12”, so that gives you plenty of potential coverage with just a single pack.

Installing these foam tiles is also a breeze. You can use numerous different types of adhesive to mount these things on various types of walls. That is just another testament to the versatility that these acoustic foam panels provide.

All in all, the Auralex Acoustics StudioFoam acoustic foam tiles are a great choice for producers with recording studios of any kind. They provide excellent acoustic absorption and the price-tag is more than fair for what you get. Easily the best acoustic foam panels on this list.

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Next up we have another wedge foam set of acoustic foam panels from Pro Studio Acoustics. The main reason these foam tiles are included on this list is due to their affordability and great looks.

Now, these panels have a Noise Reduction Coefficient Rating of only 0.65. This means that the overall sound absorption is good, but it’s not quite as good as others on this list. That being said, like I mentioned earlier, the NRC of a particular set of acoustic panels isn’t something to be overly concerned with. These panels will still do a good job at improving the overall sound quality in your studio.

So, each pack comes with 12 acoustic foam panels that are 2-inches thick, and each panel measures at 12” by 12”. The cool thing about these acoustic panels is the alternating colors. This particular set comes with black and blue foam tiles that you can mix and match in any way you see fit.

These acoustic foam panels are more than adequate for most home recording studios. At this price point, you’re getting a great overall value and plenty of coverage.

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Here we have the first option that comes with broadband absorber panels. There are numerous different options in the London kits from Primacoustic, but I decided to include the 20 panel version. This kit gives you enough coverage for rooms up to 120 square feet in size. If you need more coverage (or less), then here are your other options:

• London 8 – 12 panels for rooms up to 100 square feet.
• London 12 – 22 panels for rooms up to 150 square feet.
• London 16 – 42 panels for rooms up to 200 square feet.

Each kit comes with mounting hardware, and varying sizes of acoustic panels. In the London 10 kit, you get 8 tall panels, and 12 smaller scatter panels. This gives you another level of versatility in how you set things up.

So, if you’re looking for a way to get a headstart on treating your studio, then the Primacoustic all-in-one acoustic panel kit is a great choice. The performance of the broadband panels is quite good and the price tag isn’t bad for everything you get.

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Now we have yet another broadband absorber panel, this time from a well-known brand in the industry. ATS, Auralex, and Primacoustic round out the list of the top manufacturers of acoustic treatment gear, and these ATS panels truly are top-notch performers.

These broadband panels have an NRC rating of 1.0 and are 2-inches thick. Each panel measures at 4’ x 2’ x 2’, so even though they seem expensive, they’re actually an incredible value. Keep in mind that these panels are sold in singles, so the list price is for one acoustic panel.

In terms of looks, these acoustic panels actually have a nice finish to them with four different colors to choose from. They’ll look great on any surface you put them on, and they’ll give you all the sound absorption you could ever need.

These ATS broadband acoustic panels can be summed up in one phrase: professional-quality. These are the panels used in some big time recording studios, but they’ll do a great job of absorbing sound no matter where you use them.

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Rounding out the list of acoustic panels, we have an affordable foam option from Foamily. These foam panels differ from others on this list in two ways. For one, these acoustic panels are pyramid shaped, and secondly, they’re a bit bigger.

Each panel is 2-inches thick and measures at 12” by 12”. They are sold in packs of 6 as well, so you get a lot of coverage at a price that won’t break the bank. The NRC rating of these panels is a modest 0.45, but that will still be good enough for a home recording studio.

Just like any other foam panel option, these pyramid squares are easy to install and you can put them anywhere. The only concern with these foam tiles is their longevity. These are meant to be a budget option, so if nothing else, then I’d suggest treating these panels with care. These panels are also only meant for smaller studio spaces, so if you need better acoustic absorption, then these might not be right for you.

With that, if your goal is to save a few bucks, then you can’t go wrong with these acoustic foam panels. If you have a small home studio and desperately need some treatment, then these panels will do just fine.  

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Best Diffuser Panels List

Now it’s time to take a look at the next big step in acoustic treatment: diffuser panels. Keep in mind that diffuser panels won’t work as well in small home studio environments. Be sure to measure your room to determine if your studio would even benefit from a set of diffuser panels before buying.

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Opening up the list of best diffuser panels is this option UA Acoustics. There are a number of different panel designs to choose from, and each one of them will do a good job. Don’t feel like these particular panels are the only ones to choose from.

The great thing about these diffuser panels is their effectiveness. Not only do they do a great job at scattering sounds (200Hz to 5000Hz scatter range to be exact), but they also have an NRC rating of 0.68. In other words, they absorb sound and diffuse it at the same time.

On top of that, these sound diffusers legitimately look like artwork. They do so many things at once, and still manage to look great while doing it. The only downside with these acoustic panels is that they don’t come with mounting hardware, so you’re on your own with figuring out how to mount these things.

Overall, these diffuser panels come at a reasonable price and they perform very, very well. If you’re looking for a great way to enter the world of sound diffusion, then these panels are definitely worth it.

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Next up we have a unique diffuser panel from Primacoustic. These panels are sold individually, and each one measures at 48” by 24”. They are also 3-inches thick, but there is actually a reason behind that level of thickness.

These panels are equipped with 6 variable pitch slats that span the full top-to-bottom height, and each one is rotated at varying angles. Behind each slat is an acoustic panel that’s 2-inches thick. So, yes, this is another option that both absorbs sound and diffuses it.

Needless to say, these diffuser/acoustic sound panels are insanely effective. This level of performance comes at a price though, not only in cost, but in weight and size. These panels will definitely require some DIY expertise to mount.

At the end of the day, these sound diffusers are made for demanding studio environments. They are ultra-premium panels for serious producers. If that sounds like you, then do your studio a favor by adding these panels to your arsenal.

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Yet another option from ATS, this time in the form of a diffuser panel. These panels look simple at first glance, but they do a great job of scattering sound. In fact, they begin scattering at 325 Hz and provide effective diffusion up to 3 kHz from there.

This level of sound diffusion is accomplished through a 7 well quadratic residue diffuser (QRD) design. Again, this acoustic panel might look simple, but it’s supremely effective at its job.

Keep in mind that this panel is quite a bit bigger than it looks. It measures at 22-7/8″ x 22-7/8″ x 6.5″, and it weighs a whopping 20 lbs. This size gives you plenty of coverage, but mounting one or two of these acoustic panels will definitely be a difficult process.

Really though, this diffuser panel will be a great addition to any studio. When paired with a good set of acoustic panels, you’ll have yourself one well-treated studio space. Also, for what you get, the price isn’t all that bad either.

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These diffuser panels kind of look like backsplash tiles in a kitchen somewhere, but they were specifically designed for sound diffusion. As you can see in the picture, they have a pyramid design and each panel measures at 12” x 12”. At that size, you can place each panel in random spots on your wall and you’ll achieve some pretty good results.

Now, these sound diffusers are sold in packs of 12. That gives you plenty of freedom when deciding how to place them. There isn’t a scatter range listed for these diffuser panels, but one could assume that it’s probably pretty modest.

The thing that stands out about these sound diffusers is the price. Although they’re a pain to mount, and the sound diffusion isn’t necessarily professional-quality, you get a lot for what you pay for. These are entry-level acoustic panels that will be great for beginners with small studios.

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Last but not least, we have a diffuser panel from BXI. This panel features almost the same exact design as the ATS option from earlier, but this one has 6 wells instead of 7. Additionally, this one is about half the price as the ATS panel.

If you’re curious about the performance of this panel, then all you need to do is refer to the ATS panel from before. It has the same quadratic residue diffuser (QRD) design, and it’s pretty much the same size as well. It measures at 24” by 24” and it’s about 3-inches thick.

The only downside to this panel is that it tends to ship damaged, which raises questions about it’s build quality. It doesn’t seem to be a widespread issue, but it’s still worth noting.

All in all, this diffuser panel really is a great value. You get a massive panel that provides excellent coverage. All of this coming at a price that won’t put a hole in your wallet.

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Conclusion

Treating your home recording studio is no small task. It requires a lot of research, a lot of planning, and even more elbow grease. With that, once all is said and done, the improvements made will be more than worth it.

In this list of best acoustic panels, you have a number of options to choose from to start your acoustic treatment endeavors. In my opinion, the best acoustic foam panels are the Auralex Acoustics StudioFoam wedge panels. They’re well-priced, very effective, and are quite versatile.

The best broadband panels are definitely the ATS Acoustics option. They have the highest possible NRC rating, and they come at a surprisingly fair price.

In terms of sound diffusers, my top choice is the UA Acoustics option. You can easily pair them with any type of acoustic panel, and they’ll scatter sound waves extremely well for you. Not to mention the fact that they just look super cool!

There are plenty of options on this list for everyone though. My only goal here is to help you along in your research. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out anytime.