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FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the Steelbox FAQ section. Here you’ll find clear and detailed answers to the most common questions about sound, acoustic comfort, sound absorption, our products, and the technologies used to ensure the highest level of acoustic well-being in your spaces.
Why do we talk about acoustic comfort?
Acoustic comfort is an increasingly important topic because it directly affects quality of life, well-being, and productivity in the spaces where people live and work. Some key reasons why acoustic comfort is so widely discussed include:
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Well-being and Health: An environment with good acoustic comfort promotes overall well-being. Continuous exposure to high noise levels can cause stress, fatigue, and even long-term health issues.
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Productivity: In work environments, unwanted noise can negatively impact focus and productivity. A well-designed acoustic space enhances concentration and performance.
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Communication: In spaces where communication is essential—such as offices or classrooms—good acoustic comfort ensures clear speech intelligibility and reduces listening fatigue.
This highlights the growing importance of designing living and working environments that take into account not only visual aspects, but also acoustic quality, to improve the overall comfort and well-being of their occupants.
Why do Zen panels solve the problem of reverberation?
The patented Zen Soundshaper® panel has an acoustic absorption coefficient of 0.97 and is equipped with supports that make it suitable for four configurations: Wall, Ceiling, Freestanding, and Desking. It provides users with design-oriented solutions that can seamlessly integrate into existing environments or be used to create acoustically treated work islands within open-space layouts.
How can I position the panels within a space?
The Zen Soundshaper® acoustic panel is effective in any position.
Its installation depends on the location of the sound source. For example, the ideal placement in a classroom differs from that in a restaurant or a meeting room. The most efficient configuration for acoustic panels is baffle mounting.
The Zen range extends from thermoformed single-sided panels to high-performance models, and to fiber panels suitable for environments where acoustic efficiency takes priority over design. Depending on specific needs, it is possible to combine different solutions to achieve the desired result — also taking into account the available budget. Further useful information and answers to common questions are available on the website steelbox.it.
Why choose Steelbox acoustic panels from the Zen Soundshaper® line?
The Zen Soundshaper® panels by Steelbox feature patented technology and are Class A certified in the speech frequency range by ZetaLAB, an independent laboratory.
The patented Zen Soundshaper® panel consists of two polyester fiber mats, each with a thickness of 30 mm and a density of 1400 kg/m³, enclosing a fire-retardant honeycomb core. The original Zen Soundshaper® panels feature small surface depressions that enhance their acoustic performance, ensuring optimal sound absorption and superior comfort in any environment.
What is the acoustic absorption coefficient of the
Zen Soundshaper® panels?
The Zen panel achieves an absorption coefficient of 0.97 at a frequency of 1 kHz.
Where is acoustic treatment most needed?
It is especially needed in open-space environments such as call centers, restaurants, schools, gyms, industrial spaces, and public waiting areas.
The Zen collection offers solutions for every setting, ensuring optimal acoustic comfort in any environment.
Which panel should I choose based on the environment?
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Educational environments: The Zen Go! line has been specifically designed for these spaces. It provides effective acoustic treatment, improving learning conditions while keeping costs under control.
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Music rooms: In addition to Zen Go! and Zen Soundshaper® panels, it is recommended to use Bass Traps, which are specifically designed to control low frequencies and enhance acoustics in environments dedicated to music and the arts.
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Offices: The Desking, Suite, and Pole configurations within the Zen Soundshaper® line offer a perfect balance of acoustic efficiency and elegant design. They help improve focus and productivity, while also providing a degree of privacy within open spaces.
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Horeca (Hospitality, Restaurants, Cafés): The Ceiling and Wall mounting options integrate seamlessly into these environments, improving the customer experience and creating a more pleasant atmosphere.
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Waiting areas: The Freestanding panels from the Zen Soundshaper® line provide discreet and effective acoustic control, allowing the creation of private zones within shared spaces.
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Industrial spaces: The entire Zen collection is suitable for such settings, with particular effectiveness from Wall, Ceiling, and Baffle-mounted panels.
How do you determine the number of panels needed for optimal acoustic comfort?
To support its clients in accurate acoustic planning, Steelbox has developed ZEN APP, an easy-to-use application for tablets and smartphones.
With the aid of a measurement kit, the app can detect the actual reverberation time of the space being designed, indicating both the current T60 and the optimal T60 based on the room’s intended use. It also provides information about the required compliance range and, consequently, suggests the number of panels needed to achieve maximum acoustic comfort.For more details, please visit steelbox.it
How does the Zen Soundshaper® panel differ from other panels on the market?
The Zen Soundshaper® panels are absorptive, resonant, and diffusive.
Thanks to Soundshaper technology, sound waves remain captured for a longer period within the honeycomb layer, resulting in greater dispersion and faster decay of sound reverberation.Unlike most panels on the market, which are not thermoformed and lack this technology, Zen panels achieve far more effective control of sound decay. In addition, the Zen collection offers a wide range of mounting systems across four configurations — Freestanding, Wall, Ceiling, and Desking — allowing it to meet diverse application needs with both functionality and design versatility.