Fabric-covered diffusers absorb sound instead of scattering it

Evidence

Diffuse surfaces, on the other hand, scatter sound in other directions than the specular. In the case of an ideal diffuser, the scattered energy polar pattern would be in the form of a hemisphere. A simple approach to calculating the effect of this can be to model the scattered energy as a source whose initial intensity is given by the incident energy. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2318 (#contradicts, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Diffuse surfaces scatter sound hemispherically rather than mirror-like — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2318; Screen fabric transparency requires tension and verification under 1 dB; Dense wall fabrics with empty space behind them become unwanted absorbers

Broader Connections

• Diffuse surfaces scatter sound hemispherically rather than mirror-like #contradicts (0.85) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2318