Acoustic Treatments - Element Panels
The Acoustic Innovations ELEMENTS Panels are similar to Harmony Panels, but come with decorative frames already attached or overlaid, offering a more finished look for a home's interior. Elements panels are mounted with our proprietary system that allows the panels to absorb lower frequencies. They incorporate a backing to secure the framing. Like Harmony panels, ELEMENTS panels can be configured to hang on walls or from ceilings.
Taken from our popular line up of Showcase Series Theaters, choose from 18 different frame designs. View our colorful Showcase Theater Brochure or our download Virtual Showcase Visualizer to see all the styles. Any of the panel styles you see, are available for purchase ala carte.
What sizes and finishes do ELEMENTS Panels come in?
For easy ordering, choose from 24 standard sizes at no additional charge. Custom sizes can also be accommodated. See Standard Size Matrix for Elements Panels
Choose from five wood finishes: Black, Silver, Cabernet, Espresso, or All-Spice. Optionally, custom stain and paint colors can also be accommodated. In some styles we can provide a ready-to-stain frame for on site finish.
How do I select what fabric to use?
Your local Acoustic Innovations Dealer will have a fabric binder that shows our acoustically transparent fabrics, sometimes called grill fabrics. If a specific pattern, color or material is in mind our in-house design team can find the perfect solution for you. To find a local dealer near you call our offices or click here to be contacted. You may also provide a sample for our evaluation. See using Customer Own Material.
How do absorptive panels enhance the sound in a theater?
Absorptive panels
minimize sound reflections in the room to create clearer dialog clarity and tonal balance. Have you ever been in a theater, and the character's voice is echoing? Learn about why this happens here
How do I know where to place my panels within a room and what kind to use?
With the diversity of speaker systems available today matched with different shapes, sizes and surfaces of a proposed space it is challenging to offer specifications without first examining the elements as a whole. Acoustic Innovations can provide helpful consultation of Harmony panel placement, assuming the room dimensions, seating area, speaker types and placement are documented for review. There are some basic theories for applying absorptive and reflective panels correctly read more here: Learn More About Reflective / Absorptive Panels.
I learned about reflective panels in the Harmony section, why are they not mentioned for the Element line?
Technically we can provide Elements Panels with reflective material, however since they're designed for more retro-fit applications where a portion of the reflective drywall is exposed, they are not typically used to add additional reflection.
How do I know where to place my panels within a room?
With the diversity of speaker systems available today matched with different shapes, sizes and surfaces of a proposed space it is challenging to offer specifications without first examining the elements as a whole. Acoustic Innovations can provide helpful consultation of Harmony panel placement, assuming the room dimensions, seating area, speaker types and placement are documented for review.
Decoratively, Elements panels can be spaced with exposed painted drywall gaps between them. Symmetry of the panels both vertically and horizontally play an integral role in the design. Elements like doors, windows, existing millwork, and AV equipment should also be considered in the layout to ensure there are no conflicts.
Where can I purchase Elements panels?
Learn how to purchase Elements panels here.
Can I get Element panels without decorative frames around them?
Element panels come with frames, to order without visit Acoustic Innovations Harmony Panels
More about Absorptive Panels
Sound is a wave, and just like a pebble in a pond produces concentric waves on the surface of the pond, the speaker (also known as the driver) produces spherical pressure waves. Some of these are direct sound waves. And like the pebble in the pond, some waves also radiate in other directions. This sound reflects off the room's hard surface boundaries, which create early and late reflected waves. The difference in timing and strength of these two paths, the direct and reflected sound waves, create what is called reverberation. The amount of reflected surfaces and size of the room all have an effect on the reverberation time.
Panels at the first reflection points allows significantly more sound absorption than an untreated surface can provide. By reducing the delay and strength of the reflected sounds we are able to lower the reverberation time, allowing your ear to experience a crisper and clearer perception of the movie track, in particular the main dialogue.
Just like excess reflection, excess absorption in a theater will result in poor sound. Anechoic chambers- where loudspeakers are tested- are designed to have complete absorption for test purposes. This is often called an acoustically DEAD room. For this reason, reflective panels exist.
More about Reflective Panels
Strategically placed reflective panels can enhance the listening area known as the surround field, where multiple speakers are placed as part of a multi- channel system often known as Surround or 5.1 or 7.1. Surround speakers are intended to introduce different sounds within the movie track then speakers in the front of the theater.
When a movie is mixed in a sound studio, the engineers "mix" special effects and atmospheric sound onto additional tracks in sequence with the action. These sounds are sent to the surround speakers through the audio receiver or processor. In some cases, engineers will utilize the placement of the speakers to create depth by introducing sound in a specific order such as front to back if a car is coming past you, or side to side if the train is coming from left to right of the screen. In other instances, the sound is distributed equally among all the speakers and released at the same time, such as the sound of rain. These effects are designed place you in the movie and enhance the suspension of disbelief.
Reflective panels are designed to add first and secondary reflections into the surround field, often replicating or multiplying a sound effect to increase the intensity. Unlike sound waves coming out of the front speakers, reflection is a welcomed effect in this location, dependent upon speaker and seating positions.
Overall Frame Height
Overall Frame Width 58" 70" 82" 94"
18" 18" x 58" 18" x 70" 18" x 82" 18" x 94"
24" 24" x 58" 24" x 70" 24" x 82" 24" x 94"
30" 30" x 58" 30" x 70" 30" x 82" 30" x 94"
36" 36" x 58" 36" x 70" 36" x 82" 36" x 94"
42" 42" x 58" 42" x 70" 42" x 82" 42" x 94"
48" 48" x 58" 48" x 70" 48" x 82" 48" x 94"
Using Customers Own Material (COM)
Acoustic Innovations will allow customers to provide their own fabric (COM) or leather (COL) at no additional cost to the standard product pricing, however we do not warranty COM and take no responsibility in the event the COM or COL rips or is damaged during its use. In addition, a 12" x 12" sample of the material must be submitted to the factory to ensure it meets our standards. See COM Form (insert link)
Fabrics and leather submitted for seating must prove durable enough to pass our upholstery process.
Grill fabrics for acoustic treatments must be acoustically transparent so that both the speaker and acoustic material can function properly. Suede's and tightly woven materials are not suggested but we welcome your samples to make a fair decision.
Also, patterned fabrics for both seats and acoustic treatments are carefully evaluated to ensure that we will be able to maintain the integrity of that pattern. Strips and plaids are particularly difficult to work with, in some cases they may be approved with additional labor costs to cover the extra time required to work with them.