Acoustic fabrics are essentially transparent and can be used as a decorative wrap because they allow sound waves to pass right through and reach the sound-absorbing core material. By contrast, a fabric that is too dense or backed with paper or an acrylic coating would block that transfer of sound.
Guilford of Maine fabrics are considered the industry standard, as many of their fabric lines are specifically designed for acoustic projects. That said, there are many high-performance textile manufacturers that offer transparent fabrics well-suited to wrap acoustic panels. Designers and architects often specify materials from Carnegie, Maharam, Knoll, and Designtex on our panel products.