t.akustik Stripe Absorber 120 review

t.akustik Stripe Absorber 120: What is it?

The Thomann acoustic-treatment sub-brand, t.akustik, has shown little sign of slowing down production of late and as such, we have another soundwave-taming device in our midst in the form of the Stripe Absorber 120. So-called, no doubt, since this is an absorber panel finished with a striped design that measures 120cm in length, or height – whichever way you look at it.

The Stripe Absorber 120 comes in a set of two with a thin piece of felt that aids in the seamless design, should you wish to place them next to one another. It’s also available in three different finishes (from dark to light): Azteco, Tenue and White Wood.

As with t.aksutik’s other lightweight wall or ceiling-mounted panels, the Stripe Absorber 120s are designed to be stuck to the surface with an adhesive. Something you can buy from t.akustik separately but will also be in stock at your local hardware store. However, it’s worth mentioning that Thomann states its t.akustik acoustic adhesive is “fast-curing and more universal than structural and assembly adhesives".

Each panel weighs just under 2kg, so you won’t be breaking your back whilst fitting them and at just about an inch and a half thick, are quite easy to handle.

t.akustik Stripe Absorber 120: Performance and verdict

t.akustik’s recent run of acoustic panels has been mostly created with PET instead of a hardened polyurethane soft foam. This means that these newer models are slightly lighter and denser, so they are more effective at absorption.

Generally speaking, absorbers come in many different sizes and finishes, which means that you will likely find a design that best fits your space and best suits your decor. t.akustik has done a great job in creating a wide variety of good-value products that offer more than just your average knobbly black foam finishes. Most of its current lineup of absorbers feature a thin wood-like laminate and these Stripe Absorber panels are no different.

However, being larger in size compared to previous models that we have tested, you need to use quite a lot of glue to get them secured in place. For us, this poses the problem of longevity – once they’re on, they are on. You’ll need to make sure that you are happy with the placement otherwise things could get messy.

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One very small issue we had with previous t.akustik absorption panel reviews is that they only really catered for the middle to higher frequencies from 2kHz upwards. This, however, was by design. So it’s a welcome addition to the t.akustik range to have panels with the ability to capture a broader frequency range with t.akustik quoting frequency absorption from 315Hz for its plain 120 PET absorber panels

Starting at £155 for the pair, this set comes in £50 dearer than t.akustik’s plain PET absorbers. The bonus here is that the Stripe Absorber 120s provide a modicum of diffusion, courtesy of the 12mm deep, vertical trenches. And the three different finishes offer a little more design choice than just a plain grey panel.

The 120cm sizing may be prohibitive for some home studio spaces where the smaller high/mid frequency panels would suffice but these panels are going to provide plenty of absorption for larger spaces for a wide variety of applications.

MusicRadar verdict: The Stripe Absorber 120 is an ideal choice if you need broad frequency absorption and something slightly more stylish than just a plain monochromatic finish. If that’s not a bother, then check out the cheaper t.akustik PET Wall Absorber 120.

t.akustik Stripe Absorber 120: Specifications

• For acoustic room optimisation
• Ideal for sound studios, home studios, podcast and streaming rooms, rehearsal rooms, hi-fi and home cinema applications, offices and call centres
• Set contains 2 absorbers and a felt strip for seamless mounting of the absorbers next to each other
• Material: PET 25 mm + PET strips 12 mm with wooden-look laminate
• Dimensions (H x W x D): 120 x 60 x 37 cm
• Weight: 1.9 kg per piece
• Colours: White Wood, Azteco, Tenue
• CONTACT: t.akustik