N10 A New Measure for speech absorption

N10 is a new measure that can be used to set adequate sound absorption requirements, primarily for floor screens and desk screens if they are aimed to be used as efficient sound absorber in a room.  If their use is mainly visual barriers in an already well damped room or open plan office the value might be less important. The number is also useful for any other products that are marketed as individual objects, e g sofas, chairs and discrete wall absorbers.

N10 is a single number that evaluates a product's sound absorbing efficiency for speech sounds.

 

N10 is a new measure that can be used to set adequate sound absorption requirements, primarily for floor screens and desk screens if they are aimed to be used as efficient sound absorber in a room. If their use is mainly visual barriers in an already well damped room or open plan office the value might be less important. The number is also useful for any other products that are marketed as individual objects, e g sofas, chairs and discrete wall absorbers. N10 is a single number that evaluates a product's sound absorbing efficiency for speech sounds. In words, it is the number of objects required to obtain 10 square meters effective sound absorption area for speech.

Technically, the N10 measure is based on the unisex speech spectrum found in IEC 60268-16, and it was found that the 500 Hz octave band has the largest impact. The N10 measure is calculated from the product's sound absorption area in the octave bands between 125 - 4000 Hz (following the Swedish standard SS 25269). The N10 value is simply 10 divided by the sound absorption area at 500 Hz. If any of the absorption area values in the octave bands above 500 Hz are lower than the value at 500 Hz, the lowest value should apply. N10 is a simple way to describe the effective sound absorption for speech of single products, and the requirement can be adapted to various product sizes.

Did you know?: The Swedish Kammarkollegiet, who organizes all public purchases in Sweden, uses N10 in their recommendation of product choice where efficient sound absorption is vital

If you have any questions about N10 please contact us at info@acousticfacts.com