Office noise and lack of speech privacy negatively affect employees’ concentration, slow task performance, increase the likelihood of errors, and threaten the continuity of creative thought. Acoustic problems also impact comfort, stress levels and morale.

Defeating workplace noise, striving for silence

Too often, workplace noise control and speech privacy strategies aim to make a space as silent as possible. There is an acoustic comfort zone. But as with light, temperature and humidity, it’s not zero.

This ideal acoustic comfort zone is determined by the workplace’s noise floor. That is, the level of continuous sound that characterizes the space. If the noise floor is too high, the environment is irritating and tiring. If it is too low, conversations and noises are easily overheard, affecting speech privacy and concentration.

In open-plan offices, the noise floor is usually so low that conversations are intelligible from up to 50 feet (15.2 meters) away. Noticeable rises and falls in sound over time, and across the workplace, make it even more difficult to ‘block out’ the distractions caused by noise problems.

Achieving acoustic comfort^®

Sound masking is part of a proactive approach to providing employees with the productive space they need to excel. It is the only acoustic treatment that can maintain the noise floor at a level between 42 and 48 dBA.

Conversation and workplace noise is rendered difficult to hear, reducing distractions and providing speech privacy. Variations in the volume of sound over time and across the space are reduced, so the workplace feels quieter, and movements are less disruptive.

Acoustic control benefits include

The LogiSon Sound Masking System is a revolutionary sound masking, paging and music system. Its networked technology helps ensure you obtain the best possible results with speed, ease and versatility.