In this article, I’m going to give you a detailed SoundSkins review and some of the most efficient and recommended sound deadening products offered by the company. But before that, here’s what you should know about the company.
Soundskins company was founded in 2015 and its first product SoundSkins Pro was first sold in Australia. The company sells its products here in the US, and in other countries including South Africa, France, New Zealand, and Australia.
SoundSkins Pro Door Kit
Weighing only 6 pounds, the SoundSkins Pro Door Kit is designed to reduce road noise and improve sound quality in your car. Once installed, you’ll notice a reduction of outside noises and improved sound quality of your car stereo. (See user reviews on Amazon)
This product is a combination of 3 layers of rubber butyl; acoustic foam and foil a blend that will enable you to improve heat rejection, sound deaden your car and improve stereo quality. It comes in large a single sheet that makes it easy to apply and cut into desirable sizes for easy application. Additionally, the butyl rubber has an adhesive side which means that once installed it will never fall off. The product is heatproof, waterproof and designed to last for years.
How Much SoundSkins is needed?
Well, the answer to this question depends solely on you. If you’re not budget restricted, I’d say that you should Soundskin the entire car cabin. But if you find that you’re tight on budget, it’s vital to deaden the doors and any other areas where the speakers are installed.
SoundSkins has different kits for trunks, doors, hood, headliner, and floor. Alternatively, you can order SoundSkins in bulk and wrap your car cabin in it. So it depends on how much you have at hand to spend and how much sound deadening you need.
How to Install SoundSkins
Installing SoundSkins is very simple. Once you have removed all the seats, door panels, headliner, carpeting, start by cleaning any dirty or dusty surfaces before applying SoundSkins for good adhesion.
Cut the SoundSkins to shape, peel, stick, and place into place. For better adhesion, you can use a heat gun.
Is it Asphalt based sound deadener?
No, SoundSkins is not asphalt sound deadener. Asphalt sound deadeners are not ideal for hot climates conditions because in hot climates asphalt deadeners will melt and emit a bad smell. But because sound skins are heatproof and waterproof, they are suitable for any climate hot or cold.
What Are SoundSkins Alternatives?
One of the best SoundSkins alternatives is Dynamat. Just like SoundSkins, it’s effective in sound conditioning your car cabin and isolating any external noises. It’s not cheap and a bit expensive compared to other deadening products on the market today, but it does a fantastic job in creating an acoustical environment for your car radio system.
Why You Need Sound Deadener
If you examine any of the sound deadening manufacturers, you’ll discover they all claim that sound deadening improves stereo performance. This is absolutely the truth. But how is this achieved? Below is a detailed guide on how sound dampening improves your sound quality.
First, if you reduce the background noise in the car cabin, you’ll be improving the signal-noise ratio of the car radio.
What exactly does this mean?
If background noise is reduced, it’ll be easier for you to hear with clarity the quiet parts of your favorite music.
Here’s a good example
Imagine you are listening to a track at 95dB and the background noise level is 90dB any portion of the music that’s below or at 90dB will be impossible to hear with clarity. But if you deaden the car cabin and reduce the background noise to 85dB, you’ll be able to hear the music.
The second and most crucial benefit of sound dampening is to enhance the effectiveness of the speakers in your car. For example, doors in your car have holes for speakers, access holes for door handles, window regulator and locking mechanism. Any speaker mounted on the car produces equal sounds as from the front as it is from the back. When these two sources mix, they cancel each other, and this cancellation happens at low frequencies.
If you were to compared the frequency of a speaker installed where a layer of sound deadening has been added to that mounted in the factory door location, you would notice a significant difference.
What to watch out for when buying a sound deadening material
Just like soundproof curtains, there are factors that you should take into considerations when investing your money on sound conditioning materials.
If you want a high-quality deadening material, it’d be important to invest in one that will remain adhered to your vehicles years later after installation.
There are two major problems associated with damping materials. The first being that the material might have a weak adhesive or might require rigorous preparation to remain adhered to your vehicle. But some damping materials will stick even to dirty/dusty surfaces.
The second and major concern is thermal stability. Soundskins damping materials are thermally stable and will not peel off during those hot summer days. So it’s important to choose all-weather damping materials for best results.
Is SoundSkins the real deal?
While it’s a new entry brand, SoundSkins damping products are of high quality and can only be compared to some high-end deadening materials such as Dynamat. The best part is that the products are affordable and come in different shapes and sizes to fit every customer need. You can also read this detailed SoundSkins and Dynamat comparison.