What we do

Acoustic Sound Panels designs and manufactures sound-absorbing wall panels, ceiling clouds, bass traps, and custom-printed acoustic art. Every panel ships from our facility outside Chicago, Illinois. We do not warehouse panels made overseas. We build to order, in the size and fabric you specify, and we ship direct to you, your jobsite, or your client.

How a panel is built

Every panel is the same construction. A rigid mineral-wool acoustic core, a wood frame, dust cloth on the back, and a wrapped fabric face. The work is in the details that the photo on a website does not capture: the frame squareness, the corner pulls, the seam tension across a 4-foot face, and whether the fabric pattern lines up across multiple panels in a kit.

The core

We use high-density mineral wool as the absorber. It is the same material specified on commercial acoustic projects since the 1970s, because it is what the lab data is built on. We do not use polyester batting, foam, or recycled-fiber substitutes in our standard products. PET felt is available as an alternative core when a project specifies low-VOC or kid-safe materials.

The fabric

Our default fabric is Burch Fabrics Prime Time, the Made in the USA equivalent of Guilford of Maine (a Canadian company) Anchorage and FR701. It is acoustically transparent, fire-rated, and color-stable under fluorescent and LED lighting. Customers can order a refundable swatch sample before committing.

The build

Frames are cut, glued, and squared on a flat table. The core is dropped in. Dust cloth is stapled across the back. The face fabric is hand-pulled across the front and stapled, with the staples driven into the back of the frame so they are never visible from any viewing angle. The corner technique is what separates a panel that looks professional from one that looks home-built. We have been doing it the same way for over a decade.

The numbers, with sources

Spec	Value	Notes
NRC (2" standard panel)	1.0	Independent lab, ASTM C423.
NRC (1" standard panel)	0.85	Independent lab, ASTM C423.
Fire rating	Class A	ASTM E84 surface-burning characteristics.
Frame	Solid wood	Mitered, glued, and stapled.
Fabric	Burch Prime Time	Acoustically transparent, fire-rated.
Mounting	Z-clip flush	Included. Ceiling cloud kit available.

Lab data and PDFs available on request for spec writers and AV integrators. Submit through the room analysis form with the project name and we will send the file.

Who buys from us

How we work

Most projects start with a short conversation. You tell us the room dimensions, what is going on in the room (vocals, music, conference calls, restaurant chatter), what the budget looks like, and we tell you the panel count, sizes, and placement. We do not pad the count to sell more panels. If the room only needs four, we say four.

For large or commercial projects, we send a written treatment plan and a price quote, often the same day for projects over $5,000. We work directly with architects, AV integrators, and facilities teams. Public-bid documentation, ASTM cut sheets, and W-9 forms are available.

Why we are not the cheapest

There are panels on Amazon for $15. They are foam squares dyed with whatever stain was on sale. They do not absorb low-mid frequencies, they crumble under direct sunlight, and they are not fire-rated for occupied commercial spaces. The reason a real acoustic panel costs what it does is the mineral-wool core, the rated fabric, the wood frame, the labor of building it square, and the lab data behind it. We can show the math on every line.

Where we are

Our facility is at 797 Springer Drive, Lombard, IL 60148, in the western suburbs of Chicago. We ship across the United States and Canada. Visits are by appointment only. The customer-facing phone is 888-923-5777. We answer it ourselves. There is no offshored call center.

Acoustic Sound Panels has been making custom acoustic panels in the USA since 2011. Founded and operated by Dan Morrell.