When evaluating performance in acoustic drop ceiling tiles you ll want to reference two general ratings.
Cac rating ceiling tile.
A ceiling system with a cac less than 25 is very low performance whereas a ceiling with a cac of 35 or greater is considered high performance.
Cac indicates the ceiling s ability to prevent airborne sound from traveling between adjacent rooms when the dividing wall does not connect with the structural ceiling which ranges from 0 up to 40 45 for ceiling.
Ceiling attenuation class cac is a measure for rating the performance of a ceiling system as a barrier to airborne sound transmission through a common plenum between adjacent closed spaces such as private offices and open spaces used for collaboration and focus areas.
Noise reduction coefficient nrc and ceiling attenuation class cac.
Nrc and cac ratings.
The higher the cac rating the better the performance.
Total acoustics best nrc 0 80 and cac 35 noise can impede concentration healing and learning.
In that case you are likely interested in a high cac.
When using a high cac ceiling wall construction with a minimum stc 40 rating should be specified.
An acoustic ceiling product with a 95 nrc rating means that 95 of sound in the room is absorbed while the other 5 is reflected.
Total acoustics ceilings rated best are ideal for high traffic spaces or multipurpose.
Nrc tells you how much sound a ceiling panel will absorb thereby lessening the noise within a room.