Cheap acoustic damping sheets

Zap

Elite Member
Oct 13, 1999
22,377
2
81
For all those former Delta black label fan boys...

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/pshowdetl.cfm?&DID=7&Partnumber=268-010
10"x10" Acoustic Damping Sheets
Part Number 268-010
$1.95 each qty 1-9
$1.50 each qty 10+

This is REALLY cheap for any kind of sound deadening stick-on sheets. This may work better than some of the other stuff that's just foam (Akasa PAX Mate) or vinyl since it has asphalt in it. Note that this can INCREASE case temperatures.

This multi purpose, noise reduction material actually absorbs the vibration of any solid material. It is made of a mineral filled asphalt polymer that transforms vibrational energy into thermal energy (low level heat). The flexible nature of the damping sheets enables it to mold and conform to irregular surfaces. They can be cut using a standard razor knife and are self adhesive for easy peel / stick application. Can handle continuous temperatures -30° to 350° F. Thickness: .070".
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
cool! probably very similar to Dynamat, which is so horribly overpriced it's ridiculous.
 

beatle

Diamond Member
Apr 2, 2001
5,661
5
81
I've used this on a couple of my cases (this brand) and it hasn't made any difference in volume. This only helps to absorb vibrations, not sound. For airborne sound, you'll need foam.
 

zerodeefex

Senior member
Jan 31, 2004
476
0
76
If you need a LARGE amount of sound deadener (i.e. for your car audio needs) I suggest bituthene. If you go to a serious supplier of hardware, they will have it in rolls of 200 sq feet for around $80. It is asphalt based and the thing no one tells you is that asphalt based deadener smells for a little bit (A couple of bouts with febreeze took care of the smell nicely for me). But other than than, it is a steal and is basically a weatherproofing for roofers, but in my applications has provided comparable to other sound deadeners on the market. Definitely worth the price of it and a bottle of febreeze.
 

Slaimus

Senior member
Sep 24, 2000
985
0
76
How would you use that in a car? their description does not not seem practical.
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
This works awesome for case quieting... Helps drop the vibration of the metal case panels. Thanks. :D
 

mrchan

Diamond Member
May 18, 2000
3,123
0
0
1.50 for less than 1 square foot isnt really that cheap. you can find other sound deadeners, brown bread, peal and seal, second skin for about the same price i think.

if you're going to get this to quiet your computer case, you may want to consider spray on sound deadener. i bought a can of rubberized undercoating from walmart, cost about $4. havent tried it yet tho.
 

DurocShark

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
15,708
5
56
Originally posted by: mrchan
1.50 for less than 1 square foot isnt really that cheap. you can find other sound deadeners, brown bread, peal and seal, second skin for about the same price i think.

if you're going to get this to quiet your computer case, you may want to consider spray on sound deadener. i bought a can of rubberized undercoating from walmart, cost about $4. havent tried it yet tho.

That stuff works, but is messy. My current needs are to just add mass to the panels. These sheets are cheap and easy to apply.

I also ordered a 3' toslink optical cable fro $3.65 :Q Cheapest I could find locally was $20.
 

Triumph

Lifer
Oct 9, 1999
15,031
14
81
Don't forget to consider heat: Your aluminum or steel case transmits heat alot better than one lined with insulation is going to. I have no numbers to back this up, but it certainly sounds plausible.
 

Neyd3400

Member
Jul 28, 2003
195
0
0
Rubberized undercoating, lol. I hope you have better luck than I had. I use to use that stuff for my car audio, spray the trunk and side panels. The stuff can get really, really messy. On warm days that stuff is like sticky tar. There is no way I would put that stuff in my case (32-36 C).
 

BoKingWen

Senior member
Mar 31, 2002
821
0
0
I spend $40 on these things and can't tell the difference, best way to keep your PC quiet is take those fan out. I tried sound dumpering, fan control and my PC is still making so much noise. My 2 cents save you money.
 

OulOat

Diamond Member
Aug 8, 2002
5,769
0
0
Originally posted by: Triumph
Don't forget to consider heat: Your aluminum or steel case transmits heat alot better than one lined with insulation is going to. I have no numbers to back this up, but it certainly sounds plausible.

That is assuming that the air inside the case is stale. In any case with good circulation, adding these sheets shouldn't be a problem
 

nebula

Golden Member
Apr 4, 2001
1,315
3
0
So how well does the Akasa and similiar really work? I'm not trying to kill fan noise, the loudest things in my system are my hard drives. So I would like to quiet some of the constant spindle noise from them. I was just about to order the stuff that SVC has that's a little cheaper than the Akasa, I'm assuming it does the same thing for less.

This thread seems to lean towards the "it doesn't work" category. But my situation is a little different, sorta, I don't have a screamer.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
84
91
Originally posted by: BoKingWen
I spend $40 on these things and can't tell the difference, best way to keep your PC quiet is take those fan out. I tried sound dumpering, fan control and my PC is still making so much noise. My 2 cents save you money.

yea, unless you have no fans, the noise leaks straight out the fan grills... its hopeless to use acoustic dampening for pcs.
 

WinkOsmosis

Banned
Sep 18, 2002
13,990
1
0
Originally posted by: Triumph
Don't forget to consider heat: Your aluminum or steel case transmits heat alot better than one lined with insulation is going to. I have no numbers to back this up, but it certainly sounds plausible.

You're an idiot if you think conduction through the case matters. Doesn't your computer have fans?
 

Jejunum

Golden Member
Jun 19, 2000
1,828
0
76
Originally posted by: mrchan
1.50 for less than 1 square foot isnt really that cheap. you can find other sound deadeners, brown bread, peal and seal, second skin for about the same price i think.

if you're going to get this to quiet your computer case, you may want to consider spray on sound deadener. i bought a can of rubberized undercoating from walmart, cost about $4. havent tried it yet tho.

i bought a can of rubberized undercoating from walmart, cost about $4. havent tried it yet tho.

where did you find this in walmart (section), it sounds like a hot deal...i might try it in my tire spare tire well.

whats the brand name as well. thanks!

Jejunum
 

chaseru

Junior Member
Jul 22, 2003
7
0
0
Originally posted by: beatle
This only helps to absorb vibrations, not sound. For airborne sound, you'll need foam.

Your case vibrations create most of the sound coming from your computer. If you reduce the vibrations you reduce the sound.

All but the highest rpm heat sink fans are very quiet if you hold them in your hand while their on, but as soon as they are attached to a metal case they can be very loud.

Your case acts the same way the wood enclosure of a guitar. A guitar with dynamat applied to it wouldn't make much of a sound.
 

psycaz

Member
Mar 9, 2001
74
0
66
The stuff from McMaster-Carr works quite well.

Borrowed from AMDMB forums:

Acoustic Absorption Case Material

The flat sides of the case act as a sounding board. Every vibration in your system (hard drives, fans, etc.) can be amplified by the metal sides of the case and become sound waves. If you are targeting a quiet system, you may want to dampen the transfer of sound. The dampening material can raise the internal case temperature slightly (1 to 3C), so you must make sure you have good case air circulation. DO NOT USE THIS IF YOU ARE HAVING CASE HEAT PROBLEMS! Solve those first!!

There are several commercial products being sold for this purpose. Akasa Pak-Mate Acoustic Kit is one that I have tried. It does work, but didn?t provide the level of dampening that I wanted. It was a little expensive at $25 for a single system kit. You can use several different materials intended for automotive use in stereo installations. Most of them are asphaltic material and have a strong odor when they get warm. Some of them are also hard to cut and shape.

After much research and testing I found the Adhesive-Back Damping Sheets from McMaster-Carr , part number 9709T19. You can get a sheet of Polymeric Mastic which is 0.070" x 32" x 54", and is rated for temperatures from -30° to +300°F, it is Black in color. The McM-C part number is 9709T19 and cost is $12.79 (shipping about $6), which gets you enough to do all four sides on about 4 systems. This stuff doesn't smell at all as it is supposed to be for a high temperature installation. You can cut it with scissors, stick it in place, roll it flat with a piece of dowel, and then do final trim with a box knife.
 

breweyez

Platinum Member
Jan 30, 2001
2,347
2
76
if your trying to completely get rid of noise...you might consider putting your case(s) inside of a box with sound dampening


i just put my PC in the closet and run the wires under the door...its a lot quieter...i can still hear the 5 fans running tho:frown:
 

mercuryswitch

Senior member
Feb 28, 2004
264
0
0
well, generally speaking, you would want sound absorbers because your comp is noisy, from your cooling devices, usu fans, with this, it can slightly increase tempurature, but is it worth that much, since your purpose of all that sound-producing fan is to cool, why get this?

of course i have no idea HOW much it heats up your comp, it probaby doesnt even get a measuable temp difference, but thats just my rant.