lbbs wrote:
Let me simplify this issue. If the average Joe goes to the
hardware store and wants to buy a ceiling tile to reduce the sound
coming from the floor above, which tile should he choose.
Without getting to complicated, which should he choose? People
are faced with this choose every day, surely these is simple
answer to this question. Surely the average guy does not have
time to do in-depth research to find out which of the two is the
preferred choice for sound proofing.

Probably not, just accepts what he is told/sold wrong or not.

Best I can tell you is that any hard, smooth surface will bounce sound
around. Which is why "acoustic tiles" are soft (like celotex) and have
myriad holes.

However, that doesn't address your issue...that of sound coming from a floor
above. You said, "My thinking is that yes, hard objects carry sound, but
since this ceiling is free floating and
supported only by wire, the sound will not travel through the hard tile."
Now, sound is waves - vibration. If the air around the tiles - or the wires
themselves - are vibrating, hard tiles will too. Seems obvious that the
best choice is to use acoustic tiles...turned upside down for maximum
efficacy.


--
dadiOH
_____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.0...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
____________________________