Soundproofing & Noise Barrier products are often harder & denser materials. Mass loaded vinyl barrier, wall panels, attenuators, underpayments and such. They are intended to block noise from travelling.

Basic rule of thumb is if you are dealing with excessive noises, noise coming through floors or ceilings, equipment / appliance source noise, you most likely need a sound blocking barrier / soundproofing material.

Noise Absorption products are soft materials. Foams, fabrics, fabric wrapped products, all have a soft texture designed to absorb sound waves.

Basic rule of thumb is if you are dealing with reverberation (echo), garbled speech or poor acoustic quality, you most likely need a sound absorption product.