Nylon impression fabric is used as a cover fabric for an acoustical material (e.g., 1 inch thick polyester foam) substrate in an environment--such as a textile workplace environment having textile machinery such as texturing air jets--to provide for good sound absorption while being easily cleanable, and having other desirable properties that lead to significant high frequency (e.g., 4000-20000 Hz) noise reduction over long periods of time. The substrate and fabric combination has an HFNRC (high frequency noise reduction coefficient) of at least about 0.80. The facing fabric has a fractional cover factor of about 0.80, a coefficient of friction of less than about 0.30, an air porosity of about 10-50 cfm, and a Taber abrasion resistance of greater than about 400 cycles. The facing fabric preferably is uncoated, and is not full surface bonded to the substrate (e.g., either wrapped or point bonded).