Quick answer: A full bookshelf helps a bit: books of different sizes break up and scatter sound, and soak up a little. It works best on a bare wall facing another bare wall. But it does less than acoustic panels, especially for voices. Use a bookshelf on one wall and panels on the others.

Key takeaways

  • A full, uneven bookshelf scatters sound.
  • It helps less than panels for voices.
  • Bookshelf on one wall, panels on others.

Why bookshelves help

Uneven rows of books break up sound waves instead of bouncing them straight back. This works a little like a diffuser (panels with bumps that spread sound out instead of soaking it up). The paper also soaks up a small amount of sound. See sound diffusers.

Full is better

An empty or neatly lined shelf helps much less. Mixed sizes and depths work best. Push some books back and pull others forward to make it uneven.

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Bookshelves and echo infographic

Where to put it

Put the bookshelf on a bare wall facing another bare wall. In a studio or home office, behind you works well. That breaks up the bounce between the two flat walls.

Bookshelf vs panels diagram

Limits

A bookshelf does nothing for the ceiling and only fixes part of the echo. It scatters sound more than it soaks it up. Voices still bounce off the other walls. See how to fix bad acoustics.

Best combo

Put the bookshelf on the back wall and panels on the side walls. Add a rug on the floor. Together they cover most of the hard surfaces.

Cost

A few panels can finish the job. 4 to 6 panels cost about S$740 to S$1,110 installed. That is S$185 per panel.

On camera

A full bookshelf behind you looks good on calls and helps the sound. It gives the camera something to look at. It also breaks up the bounce off the wall behind you.

Records and CDs

A full shelf of vinyl or CDs works the same way. Mixed depths help most. An empty rack does very little.

What we see on real jobs

A full bookshelf behind the desk can cut the number of panels a home office needs. Side-wall panels then do the rest.

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