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NRC: The Basics
- The NRC rating for sound absorption materials ranges from 0 (perfectly reflective) to 1 (perfectly absorptive)
- It is an average of how absorptive a material is at four different frequencies (250, 500, 1000, and 2000)
- Because the rating is an average, two materials with the same rating might not perform the same at all frequencies and in all applications
- The NRC can also be viewed as the percentage of sound waves which come into contact with the sound absorption material that are not reflected back within the space. Example: NRC of .5=50%
- Different materials with the same NRC may provide very different results. Performance at different frequencies may be very different
- The NRC rating does NOT measure how well a material can block sound
- Depending on a material’s shape and surface area, some acoustic soundproofing products can test at an NRC above 1 (At Audimute, we use a combination of all-natural materials that provide the same absorption as expensive acoustic tile, foam, or panels at a far lower cost)