Absorption Coefficients exceeding a value of 1?

Anyway, as I was saying... The main reason you can get absorption coefficients larger than 1.0 is when the edges of a panel are exposed - the total absorbing surface is increased but not accounted for when converting Sabins to absorption coefficients. If diffraction occurs at the edges of a panel that is a totally separate issue, and is certainly unrelated to simply having more total surface area. If diffraction alone really could account for a big increase in measured absortion, we wouldn't have to use fiberglass at all! We'd just make panels from sheet steel. :) Another way to get more than 1.0 is by spacing a panel off the wall or hung a few inches below the ceiling. This lets the rear absorb as well as the sides, and this type of mounting is a big feature of RealTraps products. The air gap also increases bass absorption, so it's a win-win all around. --Ethan