Whether you have a distracting office space or work in an environment where personal information is being conveyed, sound masking systems increase employee productivity, and add privacy. According to a study conducted by UC Irvine, employees are interrupted once every 11 minutes; researchers found that it then took those employees 23 minutes on average to get back into the flow of what they had been doing. With more work environments turning to open office environments and shared workstations, the workplace has become more distracting than ever, making sound masking for the office an essential addition for efficient workflow and comfort.
What is Sound Masking and How Does it Differ from White Noise?
Sound masking systems and white noise are both used to cancel out sound, but they utilize different approaches. White noise uses an unstructured, linear sound to block out sounds and add to the background noise. The issue with white noise is that it has its own sound profile, so it can become distracting when it’s turned up to a volume that can fully block out unwanted sounds. This is especially problematic in significantly loud environments.
Sound masking for the office works similarly to noise-canceling headphones; sound masking systems analyzes the ambient sound and adds an opposing frequency of sound, flattening it. Since it has no sound of its own, it’s able to dampen the sound without adding additional noise. Unlike white noise, which requires a separate unit to be placed in each desired area, sound masking systems are a comprehensive solution that can be hidden in spaces like ceilings and flooring. With proper sound masking installation, an entire space can have effective noise reduction. Sound masking also offers a more cost-effective and fully immersive solution than white noise.
Sound masking is an excellent solution for open offices, doctor’s offices, and anywhere else where reducing audial distractions and speech privacy is an issue. If you’re interested in learning more about our sound masking services, contact us to discuss your needs! We handle everything from design and installation of signal generators, speakers, surface transducers, and self-contained systems. Contact us today at 707-546-3633 to discuss your organization’s needs!