Proper sound masking system design can help make your office or other work space a quieter, more relaxing and more productive environment. Unwanted noise is not only a distraction, it can actually contribute to stress in the workplace. If you work in an industry where privacy is a concern, such as medicine or the law, you need to be sure that private conversations remain just that – private. At Avant Acoustics, we are experts in the art and science of sound masking. Sometimes known as a “white noise system” a sound masking system can improve employee performance and customer satisfaction by eliminating or reducing distracting noise, improving comfort and providing greater speech privacy. 

 

 

Open office spaces have become the norm for many employers over the past decade. Because they are meant to enhance collaboration, open office spaces can be beneficial to the people working in them. Companies like them because they can save on operational costs such as real estate and office infrastructure. However, distraction is a major concern when working in a room full of other people. Those talking on the telephone may be disrupted by others who are gathered in meeting spaces nearby. Visitors walking through the facility may overhear sensitive information, putting confidentiality at risk. This is where correct sound masking system design can make all the difference. 

 

Sound masking works by interrupting the reception of certain sounds before they can be heard by others. This is accomplished by emitting Pink noise or white noise into a space through an array of loudspeakers or sound emitters. These unobtrusive devices work to raise the overall sound threshold, or “noise floor”, in the environment. For speech within the space to be intelligible, the sound being emitted must overcome that threshold. People talking privately to one another or on the telephone will not generally do so. That means that with proper sound masking system design, eavesdropping, whether intended or not, can be reduced or eliminated. Even better, those working in the space will not even notice the sound masking system. 

 

Sound masking can be useful in more public environments, too. Bank customers do not want others to overhear their conversations regarding personal financial information. Likewise,in a medical office it is vitally important that patients in the waiting room do not overhear others speaking with the office staff about their medical or personal information. 

 

The improved speech privacy and reduced distractions that proper sound masking system design can provide will increase comfort and productivity. The impact of such systems is so important that the Center for Workplace Strategy within the General Services Administration of the Federal Government provides sound masking system design guidelines for Federal buildings. At Avant Acoustics we are so convinced that our sound masking system design benefits the workplace, we use it in our own office!

 

The acoustics and sound masking experts at Avant Acoustics work with companies across the United States and around the world. Whether you’re struggling to hear your colleagues in an open office in Silicon Valley or whispering to keep patient information confidential in a medical office in Boston, you can trust our team of experts to develop the right sound masking system design for your needs. We would love to schedule a visit so that you can experience the system we use in our own office! Contact us at (913) 888-9111. We would love to help you achieve the comfort and privacy you desire.