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Sound Masking
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What is Sound Masking?
A sound masking system emits low level, non-distracting masking noise designed to reduce speech intelligibility and thereby improve speech privacy. This improvement in speech privacy can be of great value in open-plan offices, doctor’s examination rooms and other environments where confidentiality is important
Sound masking can also reduce the distraction caused by traffic, office machinery and other unwanted sounds. Because this benefit is limited to situations where the unwanted sounds are of relatively low level, however, speech privacy is the focus of most sound masking systems.
How does it work?
Sound masking adds low-level background noise to reduce the speech-to-noise ratio and reduce intelligibility. A typical sound masking system consists of a making noise generator, an equalizer, one or more power amplifiers and a group of special loudspeakers installed above a dropped ceiling. Sound masking works by producing sound electronically, similar to that of softly blowing air, which is projected through special speakers. Sound masking is set one or two decibels above conversation level. By doing this, masking allows conversations to take place without disturbing others.
It is now universally accepted that conversational distractions are the biggest cause of lost productivity in open work places, and therefore are the most important factor to limit and control.
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