We've spent a long time making the case that acoustic treatment doesn't have to be an eyesore. So when WIRED — one of the most widely read technology and culture publications in the world — reviewed the SoundBlocks system and led with the words "actually look good," it felt worth acknowledging.
Reviewer Parker Hall tested the SoundBlocks in his home studio and office. His framing says it better than we could: his most stylish friends complimented the panels and guessed they were either a high-end guitar amp cabinet or an actual sculpture. Nobody identified them as acoustic panels.
We love to hear that.
Design Matters
Hall opens with something GIK has been saying for years: design is one of the main reasons people put off buying the acoustic treatment their room actually needs. At worst, panels look like burlap sacks. Many people choose between better sound and a space they want to spend time in — and pick the space.
The SoundBlocks sit directly between those two. Panels stack together using a slide-and-lock railing system to form what looks like a freestanding wooden sculpture. On their own, they read as furniture. Grouped, they read as art. The 14 wood front designs, five wood finish shades, and 20 fabric color options mean the aesthetic decision is genuinely yours to make.
Function Doesn't Take a Back Seat
The review is clear that the visual side of things would mean nothing if the panels didn't perform. Hall notes the SoundBlocks work especially well for taming bass and isolating instruments. Each block is 10 inches deep, which puts it in the territory for serious low-end control.
He found one of their best use cases: modularity. Hall moved panels around to block amplifiers and drums from bleeding into each other during recording.
What This Means for Your Space
The SoundBlocks aren't the right solution for every room or every problem. Wall-mounted panels, corner traps, and ceiling clouds each have their place depending on the specific acoustic challenges you're dealing with. But for anyone who has hesitated on treatment because of how it would look — in a living room, a hi-fi listening space, a home studio where artists come to record and photograph — the SoundBlocks make that hesitation harder to justify.
If you want to talk through what your room actually needs, talk to one of our acoustic experts — it's free.
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