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Cabinet damping/insulation

Sam Cogley

Sam Cogley

Last of the Time Lords
Subscriber
I have a couple of cabinets that I'm working on, and I've been trying to figure out what to use as a replacement for the 1" or so insulation - two of the cabinets are Klipsch utility Cornwalls that are being converted for other uses, which have had vermin chewing on the existing material. The other is an EV Aristocrat, that one has material that's disintegrating after nearly 60 years.

Any ideas for a proper cabinet lining material that can be purchased in most decent-sized cities?


(I know this has been asked before, but I couldn't find many useful posts)
 
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The idea on that stuff is to break up standing waves more than really damp the speaker, I believe. Or, am I just splitting hairs here? Either way, upholstery batting material can get the job done and many craft type store carry it with their other fabrics.
 
For large enclosures, mineral wool is also quite efficient.

I would glue bitument sheets around the insides of the panels, covering the central 50% of their surface before putting in the foam or mineral wool. Bitumen sheets for damping and wool/foam for standing wave control.
 
Having researched this, I found that, according to the US Department of Energy, fiberglass density varies from 0.5 to 1.0 lbs / per cubic foot, and rockwool is 1.7 lbs / cubic foot. Rockwool reduces sound transmission through walls by 10db while fiberglass insulation reduces it by 4 to 10 db depending upon the thickness and density.

Rockwool is 2-3 times denser, it should be the better material than shredded denim or cotton batting. I do not believe there is any risk of fibers contained in a sealed cabinet. (This does not, of course, mean I'd use asbestos even though the cabinet is sealed.)

Just remember to handle fibers, other than cotton or polyester of course, outdoors and always wear a good dust mask. 3M manufactures one with great filtering available for about $3 each.

Plumbing and contractor supply companies should stock the thicker version of both. I've used the sheet version of fiberglass and rockwool to insulate an oven from the surrounding kitchen, and these were available from a contractor supply company.
 
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