What soundproofing wall type do you like best?

That's a good question, and we hear it a lot. When it comes to soundproofing, there are basically four wall types, and I have listed them from my least favorite to my most favorite. The best walls, in my opinion, are going to be acoustically decoupled to provide excellent sound isolation.

Decoupling is the essential starting point. After that, we look at potential space savings and the ability to accommodate the weight of heavy items - like kitchen wall cabinets with dishes - that will attach to them.

The four most common ways to build a soundproof wall are:

The Common Single Stud Wall
The Staggered Stud Wall
The Clip & Channel Wall
The Double Stud Wall

#1: Single Stud Wall

The common Single Stud Wall can't ever have high performance since the drywall on one side of the wall is connected to the same stud as the other side. This "coupled" construction makes it the lowest performance.

#2: Staggered Stud Wall

The Staggered Stud Wall is also not popular on my list. It's difficult to build properly, is difficult to insulate properly and still shares a common top and bottom plate.

#3: Clip & Channel Wall

The Clip & Channel Wall is nice because it takes up little space, yet still provides decoupling of the drywall. This wall isn't optimal for a double door airlock, and you also can't hang heavy things like a kitchen wall cabinet filled with 500 pounds of dishes. This wall is thinner but has those couple of limitations.

#4: Double Stud Wall

The Double Stud Wall is my favorite. It's 3" deeper than the Clip & Channel wall, but you can install the double door airlock and also install heavy items.