I tried acoustic foam panels in my little music corner, and yeah, they helped tame the echo a bit...but didn't do much for neighbor noise. Maybe insulation really is the secret sauce—how tricky was it to install?
I feel you on the foam panels—I tried them myself, and yeah, they mostly just made my room sound nicer inside. My sister went the insulation route though, and honestly it wasn't too bad to install...just a weekend project, really. She swears by it now.
We went with insulation in our historic home a couple years back, and honestly, the difference surprised me. Foam panels never really cut it for us either—they just made the acoustics inside a bit warmer. But after we installed insulation behind the plaster walls (definitely doable over a weekend, though a bit dusty!), street noise dropped significantly. It's not 100% silent, but it's noticeably quieter, especially traffic sounds. Worth considering if you're on the fence.
Did something similar for a client recently—insulation behind plaster walls really does help cut noise. Foam panels are mostly good for echoes, not street sounds. Just prep yourself for the dust storm...it's real.
"Just prep yourself for the dust storm...it's real."
Haha, yeah, the dust is no joke—been there! Curious though, did you notice a big difference with lower-frequency sounds like traffic rumbling or bass music? I've heard mixed things on that front.