So, with the new year brings new opportunities. In the pursuit of better content, we have decided to focus on YouTube as one of the mediums for our reviews and for this, a quality recording environment is needed. With thought put into the audio and video aspects of the ‘studio’ where the recordings will take place. In this article, I will look at one product that might just help out with the audio side – SilverStone’s SST-SF01 Noise Absorption Foam.
There are a multitude of ways to make your environment quieter. For our purposes today, I will focus on one of the three systems sitting near my desk – my children’s PC. This PC, of the three systems, is the primary culprit for a audible hum in the background of my audio recordings. During podcasts, the fans in this system can be noticed as an annoying whine – not at all ideal for high quality audiovisual content.
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Attacking PC noise is a three-pronged approach. One must consider the following;
- Noise reduction
- Reducing the noise output by replacing fans and drives with quieter components
- Noise absorption
- Absorbing the noise with sound deadening, or thicker case materials
- Noise distancing
- Moving the system away from the area
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Silverstone’s SST-SF01
Coming in a simple plastic bag with the title at the top end, Silverstone’s SF01 foam is a very understated product. The pack includes two (yes two) sheets of 530 x 380 x 4mm EPOM (more on this soon) foam. This should be enough for any SFF case!
EPOM, from my many minutes of research, appears to be a marketing term for EPDM rubber. It is a common non-conductive elastomer used in various industries, notable in sealing and noise absorption areas. I’m not sure why Silverstone decided to do this, but it did enlighten me about various polymers.
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Installation is easy. Just cut the sheet to size (ensuring you account for panel closing, fasteners, and fans), peel the backing paper, and carefully apply the foam to your panels. Be careful though, as this stuff is a one-shot deal because once applied, it is very difficult to remove cleanly. In this case (pun intended) I am installing the foam on the Jonsbo C2, which we reviewed here.
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Results
Well, the results are good, but not quite spectacular, with only a minor reduction in perceived sound output. However, the tone of the sound is much deeper, which removes the ‘whine’ of the stock Intel cooler and replaces it with a low hum. This is a acceptable result, and the low hum will be much more tolerable in recordings. Appearance and feel of the system has been massively improved though, with the foam adding that ‘premium’ touch to the system. The foam adds some heft to the side panels, adding to a perceived higher value.
I did not note any difference in temperatures after installation, however higher wattage systems may incur some penalty from effectively insulating the metal shell from the inside – negating any passive heat transfer.
On a side note, I did attempt to record audio samples at each stage of installation. However, without a proper audio setup as yet (this product purchase is the first step towards that!), I was unable to obtain representative audio recordings.
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Conclusion
For an initial outlay of NZ$20, the results are, well, average. The resulting noise profile is much more pleasing than prior to installation, but the volume level isn’t much lower. Worth the investment? I’m not so sure. The look and feel of the system was improved by some margin though, and maybe this is worth the outlay and time for you. In the case of this test system – I’m still on the fence.
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The Silverstone SST-SF01 is available for US$15.99 from Amazon.com
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Thoughts? Discuss them in the forum here.
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This review product was purchased by myself for personal use and was not supplied by the manufacturer.
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