how does TecSound come in to play in this equation?
To be honest, I really can't say as there is no acoustic data that I could find on it, from independent acoustic laboratories. All I found is a dubious Rw graph but with no source cited, but nothing at all when used as a CLD. So I'd take the claims with a very large grain of salt. From what I can see, it is similar to MLV but with adhesive backing, so I would expect that it acts more or less like MLV. It even costs the same, with most suppliers ... Hmmmm....
It has mass (far more than GG)
Not really. The 4mm stuff has the same mass as 16mm drywall. Yes the DENSITY is 4 times higher, but in typical applications the MASS is the same, since you'd never use 16mm thick TecSound. They don't even make it that thick. The advantage is that you can have a thinner leaf with the same mass. That might or might not be a big deal. For example, if you built a leaf with 3 layers of 16mm drywall, the total thickness would be 48mm, but if you built it with 2 layers of drywall and a layer of Tecsound100 in between, it would have the same mass and be only 36mm thick and still have the same mass. So if you really needed the extra 12mm, I suppose that would be a plus.
but is also soft and flexible,
True, and they CLAIM it acts as a CLD, but provide no data at all to support that claim. Maybe I just missed it in my search, but you'd think that if this really did provide major CLD benefits, they would feature the test results on the front page, in 90 point text.... But they don't. Hmmmmm....
If you compare the cost of using Green Glue vs. the cost if using Tecsound100, I think you'll find substantial savings with Green Glue, even considering that Green Glue is already rather expensive. Even cheaper still, would be no Green Glue and one extra layer of drywall, which will give you about the same isolation.
Or because it's 'mass', is any benefit negated?
Not necessarily. A product can have both high mass and also exhibit good damping. For example, the density (mass) of Green Glue is around 3 to 4 times that of drywall... yet it damps very well.
To determine if Tecsound has better performance than Green Glue, you'd have to compare "apples to apples": Search the internet for acoustic test reports that are comparable, such as complete wall assemblies built with the same materials and dimensions, and the only difference bieng that one has GG as the CLD while the other as Teecsound as the CLD. My guess is that GG would be considerably better. If that were not the case, then BOTH companies would be comparing their products to each other. Yet they don't... Hmmmmm... GG doesn't need to because it publishes extensive independent research reports in its products, available for comparison against all other products. Tecsound does not seem to publish that information, so it isn't possible to compare.... Hmmm....
Caveat Emptor!
- Stuart -