Acoustics First BLOG

For decades, perforated acoustic panels have played an important role in shaping the sound of recording studios, broadcast facilities, civic buildings, and public spaces. While the iconic Armstrong® 1B perforated mineral fiber tile represented the standard for practical noise control throughout much of the twentieth century, modern acoustic engineering has transformed what perforated panels can accomplish. A comparison between the Armstrong® 1B and today’s Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® family illustrates just how far acoustic technology has advanced.

The Armstrong® 1B tile was designed as a utilitarian acoustic treatment. Manufactured from thin mineral fiber, the 1′ x 1′ panels featured either linear or random perforation patterns that allowed sound energy to enter the porous material for absorption – which increased the NRC of these tiles to a 0.55-0.60. Originally developed during WWII and used in military barracks and installations, these tiles eventually found their way into countless municipal buildings, schools, government facilities, and even legendary recording environments such as RCA and Sun Recording Studios. Their modest absorption characteristics, ease of installation, and economical construction made them a practical solution for reducing reverberation in a wide variety of spaces.

Despite their historical significance, the Armstrong® 1B tiles were fundamentally simple acoustic absorbers. The mineral fiber substrate behaved much like compressed fiberboard or heavy paper, relying solely on the porous material itself for sound absorption. While the perforations exposed more surface area to incoming sound, there was no engineered reflective face, no constrained barrier layer, and no intentional diffusion characteristics. Their primary function was simply to absorb a portion of the reflected sound energy.

Modern critical listening spaces demand considerably more sophisticated performance.

The Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® family builds upon decades of acoustic research using high-performance fiberglass substrates and engineered panel construction. Rather than functioning as simple absorbers, HiPer Panels® are carefully designed hybrid acoustic devices that combine broadband absorption with controlled reflection and diffusion. Where the Armstrong tiles had an NRC of 0.55 – 0.60, the HiPer panels increase this to a 0.90 NRC – but they also introduce tuned absorption and diffusion.

The original laminated HiPer Panel® incorporates a perforated fiberglass bonded to a constrained barrier septum layer. This engineered assembly allowed portions of the sound spectrum to be reflected while some acoustic energy passed into the fiberglass absorber, creating a more balanced acoustic response than a conventional porous panel. The result is an environment that maintains clarity, spaciousness, and natural musical energy instead of becoming acoustically “dead.”

The Hiper Panel® Impact takes a slightly different approach by utilizing a durable perforated reflective face over the fiberglass core. Its optimized perforation pattern and reflective surface are specifically engineered to provide controlled diffusion on top of tuned absorption, making it well suited for performance venues, mastering rooms, critical listening spaces, and recording studios where preserving acoustic life is just as important as controlling excessive reflections. This tuned absorption allows the low frequencies to be absorbed, while leaving the high frequencies so that the diffusion characteristics of the device (over 4Khz) will be more effective in creating a feeling of openness in the room.

The differences between these products extend well beyond appearance. While both feature perforated surfaces, the Armstrong 1B’s small perforations simply exposed a thin mineral fiber absorber. By contrast, the HiPer Panel® systems use perforation geometry, reflective facings, engineered barrier layers, and high-density acoustic fiberglass to create a far more efficient and balanced acoustic device. Instead of merely reducing reverberation, they help shape the acoustic character of a room.

More than fifty years after their introduction, Armstrong® 1B perforated tiles remain recognizable symbols of an earlier era of architectural acoustics. Many continue to serve in municipal offices, schools, police interview rooms, and other institutional settings where functional noise control is sufficient. In modern recording studios, listening rooms, and performance spaces, however, engineered systems like the Acoustics First® HiPer Panel® and Hiper Panel® Impact represent the evolution of acoustic treatment—combining advanced materials, acoustic science, and carefully tuned performance to meet the demands of today’s most critical listening environments.