Your flatscreen audio experience shouldn’t feel like a seesaw of barely-there whispers and blasts that rattle the furniture.

But hollow doors are simply no substitute for the style and sound-muffling qualities of solid wood.

Noise-canceling headphones don’t muffle sound like a set of earplugs. They use internal microphones, circuitry and speakers that create an alternate sound to counteract incoming noise, thus ...

Tile and polished concrete also cause soundwaves to bounce, whereas hardwood and engineered hardwood muffle sound better. Rugs and draperies can further reduce noise while adding texture.

You may remember sound diffusers from your high school band practice—maybe you put egg cartons on the wall, or randomly chopped up blocks of foam. In any case, muffling sound usually doesn't ...