SUMMARYComputational issues concerning the calculation of acoustic responses of a complex finite element (FE) model for various noise and vibration inputs have become prevalent. Such a model requires a significant amount of computation time because of repeated inversions of dynamic stiffness matrices. Thus, even state‐of‐the‐art computer hardware and software often face limitations where a model order reduction (MOR) scheme can help. The established MOR schemes such as Ritz vector or quasi‐static Ritz vector methods are efficient for general engineering systems, but these MOR methods become inaccurate for frequency response analyses in some acoustic systems with frequency‐dependent mass and stiffness matrices and force vectors (hereinafter frequency‐dependent acoustic systems). To cope with the inaccurate prediction by these methods for frequency‐dependent acoustic systems, this research presents and applies the multifrequency quasi‐static Ritz vector method. Unlike the Ritz vector or quasi‐static Ritz vector methods, the present multifrequency quasi‐static Ritz vector method employs direct Krylov subspace bases without an orthonormal procedure at multiple center frequencies. In comparison with the existing MOR scheme, a significant gain in computational efficiency is achieved, as well as enhanced accuracy. A comparison of these methods based on criteria such as efficiency, accuracy, and reliability was also conducted. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.