What Are Bass Traps?
Bass traps work slightly differently than many other foam sound absorption products. This is because they turn sound into heat rather than simply reflecting it backward. Alongside this, there are a few other things that you might not know about bass traps, regardless of how much research you’ve put into them.
Typically, you’ll be able to choose between porous and resonant bass traps, with these being made from different materials. These will have different uses, with porous bass traps having a much broader amount of sound absorption than resonant ones.
However, resonant bass traps can be much more effective with certain sound frequencies than others. As such, if you’re planning on soundproofing a room, you should know which type that you would want to take advantage of.
Open-celled foam is one of the more common material that bass traps can be made from, with this being for a few notable reasons. Perhaps the largest is that it’s much more effective at absorption than many other materials.
Typically, the bass traps will be relatively thick, which is one of the main factors that you should focus on when buying them. The thicker any acoustic foam product is, the more effective it should be with sound absorption.
Acoustic bass traps can be applied to a variety of areas, although they’re typically used in the corners of rooms, as this is often where they have the most benefits. Regardless of where you plan on putting them, they should offer a significant amount of sound absorption.
Top 5 Bass Traps
With the advantages that bass traps can have for soundproofing, many of us might consider getting them. However, this can be much more difficult than you might have thought, as there’s quite a significant number of options.
This doesn’t have to be too overwhelming for you, as there are a few products that stand out from the rest. This should make them well worth considering. As such, if you’re considering foam bass traps, there are several that you should look at.
1. Auralex Acoustics LENRD Acoustic Absorption Bass Traps
- LENRD stands for Low-End Node Reduction Device
- Helps to Control the Low Frequency Response Of Your Space
There are quite a few reasons why these Auralex Acoustics LENRD Acoustic Absorption Bass Traps stand out from its competitors, with their design being one of the most notable. Unlike many other options, these come in a range of colors, so you should be able to find one that matches the room you’re placing them in.
Alongside this, they’re much easier to install that some other options, as you’ll just need to apply the adhesive and place them on the corner. This doesn’t mean that you’ll have to compromise on sound absorption, however, as they’re quite effective at this.
However, they do have the notable drawback of falling off quite easily. While much of this will be because of the adhesive you use, it seems as though the option could come off quite quickly regardless of what you use to attach it to the wall.
While this can be avoided by making sure that you don’t accidentally hit it, it can still be an issue for many buyers.
Pros
- Quick & easy to install.
- Large amount of noise absorption.
- Variety of color options.
Cons
- May come down quite easily.
2. Foamily Acoustic Foam XL Bass Trap
The Foamily Acoustic Foam XL Bass Trap has a few notable benefits to brag about, with much of this focusing versatility. Because of the product’s design, these should fit the majority of rooms with ease, so you shouldn’t have to worry about personalizing them to fit.
This also helps to make them quite easy and quick to install, which most of us will want to take advantage of. Lastly is the fact that it offers a large amount of sound-dampening. However, this is primarily focused on somewhat higher frequencies.
This could be quite a large issue for those of us who need to reduce lower notes significantly. If you’re trying to reducing higher frequencies from escaping, however, these could be worth looking at. This is especially true when you consider how affordable they are.
Pros
- Versatile enough to fit the majority of rooms.
- Significant amount of sound-dampening.
- Easy to install.
Cons
- More effective with higher noise frequencies.
3. ROOMSONIC Acoustic Foam Bass Trap
- HIGH QUALITY: Acoustic foam bass traps designed to absorb low/mid frequency sound to flatten room response and give you a warmer crystal clear sound.
- WORKS ANYWHERE: Bass trap foam panels are perfect for music studios, video bloggers, podcasts, home cinemas and living spaces.
ROOMSONIC Acoustic Foam Bass Traps offer quite a large number of advantages for the majority of buyers. One of the more obvious of these is that they’re a much more visually attractive than you might find elsewhere, which could be a benefit for some of us.
Alongside this is the fact that they’re quite versatile. This should mean that you’ll be able to use them in almost any room. Coupled with this is how easy to set up they are, so you shouldn’t have to spend much time doing so.
However, there is the drawback of the product smelling somewhat for a few weeks after you install them. While this should dissipate quite quickly, it’s an issue that could affect most buyers.
Pros
- More stylish option than others.
- Versatile enough to use anywhere.
- Doesn’t take long to set up.
Cons
- Can smell for a certain amount of time.
4. Foamily 12 Pack Acoustic Panels
- Each WEDGE comes uncompressed and in prime condition! The Wedges in the photo will be exactly what you get.
- Great for spot treating sound on walls in your studio or office – For use in recording studios, control rooms, Offices home studios, home entertainment theaters, Home Offices
While the Foamily Acoustic Panels aren’t necessarily bass traps, they can be used as them and offer a significant amount of noise reduction. The extra coverage area that you get with these should mean that you’ll be able to see much more noise absorption than others.
Alongside this, you should be able to customize them somewhat for your needs. These are also made from smolder-resistant materials. While this might not be the largest factor that you might focus on, it can be quite a noticeable benefit.
However, these aren’t as thick as many other options, which could reduce how much sound absorption you see. This can be overcome by layering it, although this does mean that you might have to buy extra products to put up.
Pros
- Large coverage area.
- Significant amount of noise reduction.
- Made from smolder-resistant material.
Cons
- Not as thick as other options.
5. Auralex Acoustics Studiofoam Wedgies
- 1′ x 1′ x 2″ Charcoal Gray Auralex Wedge Panels – Charcoal
You should see a few benefits with the Auralex Acoustics Studiofoam Wedgies, with one of the more prominent being that they should fit almost anywhere. This should mean that they’re much more versatile than the majority of other options.
These are also much more affordable than you might expect. However, this doesn’t mean that they’re of a relatively low-quality. In contrast, they offer quite a significant amount of sound absorption, making them quite cost-effective.
However, these can be more difficult to put up than the majority of other bass traps, which could make it quite frustrating. While you should only have to do this once, it could still be an issue for many of us.
Pros
- Smaller design means they should fit anywhere.
- Large amount of sound absorption.
- More affordable than most options.
Cons
- Difficult to put up.
Are Bass Traps Effective At Sound Absorption?
An increasing number of us have been considering soundproofing various parts of our house. While this can offer a significant amount of benefits, there are quite a large number of things that you’ll have to consider.
Prominent among these are the materials that we often need to soundproof a room. There’s a large chance that you’ll want to make sure you’re getting value for your money. One of the largest parts of this is making sure that the materials are high-quality and will offer a significant amount of sound absorption.
This is especially true for foam bass traps, as many of us might think that they’re not worth the money or time needed to install them. However, these could be much more appealing than you may think, although you’ll need to make sure that you get the right product for your needs.
There are a few things that you’ll need to know about foam bass traps.
Pros & Cons Of Foam Bass Traps
While you might believe that bass traps are a soundproofing product, they’re more of a sound absorption device. This is primarily because the products will bring in sound and turn it into heat. Many of us might wonder what kind of benefits this will have for a room.
The largest of these is that it offers a much better sound quality when you’re in the room. This should not only mean that you’re able to hear music much better in the room, but they should also prevent a significant amount of noise pollution.
While these are the most attractive reasons for buying a bass trap, there are a few other benefits to them. One of the more notable is the design of the bass traps themselves. Though not a significant advantage, many of us could find this appealing.
However, there are also a few drawbacks to bass traps that you should be aware of before you buy them. Prominent among these is that they could pose somewhat of a fire hazard, which is quite a noticeable drawback.
While some manufacturers have improved their products in this way, it could be quite a large drawback. Alongside this is the fact that you’ll need to make sure that they’re placed properly to see any kind of benefits.
This is in contrast to the majority of other soundproofing products, which typically offer noise protection regardless of where in the room they’re placed.
Do Foam Bass Traps Work?
Naturally, you’re going to wonder whether or not bass traps will work. Despite how simple the question is, it could be somewhat difficult to answer, as this can vary from product to product and even room to room.
In the majority of cases, you’ll only see an impact with bass traps if you place them in a large room that has a significant echo. This is because they’re designed to reduce this as much as possible, so they might not be appropriate for smaller areas.
However, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t notice a difference with smaller rooms. Given how relatively affordable they are, it could be worth investing in them to see how much of an impact they’ll have for you.
Typically, you’ll need to make sure that they can meet your needs before you buy them. Bass traps shine when improving a room’s acoustics and generating a certain amount of heat. If this is what you’re looking for, then they should work for you.
Alternatives To Foam Bass Traps
Some of us might prefer cheaper alternatives to foam bass traps, although we might not know what will be effective. While there are a few store-bought options that you can consider, there are a few unusual choices that you could look at.
Chief among these are carpets or blankets, which you could attach to the walls with nails or something similar. Despite what you might think, these can be quite effective. If you do choose this route, however, you should make sure that you choose thick products.
Cup holders can also be quite an effective option. They’re also quite easy to put up, as you’ll simply have to use a spray adhesive and then attach them to the wall. As such, they’re quite a cost-effective option, although they might not provide as much sound absorption as bass traps.
Foam bass traps can be a practical choice for soundproofing a room, although there are a variety of cheaper alternatives. If budget is your main focus when you’re soundproofing any room, then it’s worth considering one of these.
However, if you want to make sure that a room or house is as soundproof as possible, then it’s recommended that you choose foam bass traps. While they’re naturally more expensive than some other options, they offer much more sound absorption.
As such, they can be worth the additional investment. Each of the models mentioned above should offer a significant amount of noise-dampening, so you shouldn’t go wrong with any of them. Depending on your needs, one could be a better choice than others.
If you’re soundproofing any room, then they’ll be a recommended option, so what’s stopping you from picking one up? While you might need to spend a certain amount of time comparing them, each should be a high-quality solution.