Sound Masking - an Overview

Why sound masking?

As more working environments utilise more open plan, densely populated office space, the problems of disruptive noise from meetings, conversations, telephone calls and office equipment may lead to staff finding they are frequently distracted and unable to concentrate. Research shows that intrusive noise significantly reduces work output and leads to declining job satisfaction, while overheard conversations can lead to unintentional confidentiality breaches in sensitive work areas.

What is sound masking?

A technique commonly used in the US and becoming more popular in the UK to address privacy issues in the open plan and closed office environments.

Sound masking is a precise background ‘noise’, generated through a loudspeaker installation, which blends unobtrusively into the acoustic environment to cover or ‘mask’ unwanted and distracting noises. The result provides an even dispersion of shaped masking ‘noise’, disrupting the intelligibility of surrounding conversations and creating a less distracting environment.

What benefits can sound masking bring?

The overall benefit to the end user is a quick return on their number one asset – their workforce – by creating a less distracting environment where employees are more productive and more effective.

What equipment is involved?

A precise electronic sound generator providing shaped noise in the range of human speech (referred to as ‘pink’ noise) is fed to an amplifier that supplies an array of specialised wide dispersion loudspeakers.

Pink noise contains no distracting variations or patterns and may be likened to the sound of soft airflow.

The installation should allow for loudspeaker units to be spaced to provide a uniform volume level over the whole covered area, not allowing any high or low spots where the system may call attention to itself. The overall volume should be calculated by analysing the ambient noise present in the area, then be introduced to become part of the normal working environment.

Where can I find out more?

In addition to being experts in the acoustic field with many years of system design experience, Pel Services is part of the i-ceiling approved network with market leaders in ceiling design, Armstrong. This partnership enables a coordinated approach to provide the ultimate solution, the ‘ABC of speech privacy concept’:

• Absorb and attenuate noise by using high performance acoustic ceilings


• Block sound with effective furniture systems (such as dividers)


• Cover intruding noise with sound masking