What is sound masking?
Sound masking is the addition of an unobtrusive airflow-like background sound to a workspace.  Similar to “white noise” this sound will cover or “mask” conversations in adjacent spaces. 

Imagine you are in a darkened room and a child is flicking a flashlight on and off. The light is noticeable. Now imagine that the lights are on. The same flashlight is now unnoticed; it has been masked. This is how sound masking works.

Who needs sound masking?
Sound masking will improve acoustical comfort in virtually any workspace, including:

•		Open cubicle areas — where distracting conversations affect productivity
•		Private offices, exam rooms & counseling areas — where confidentiality is required
•		Banks, pharmacies and waiting areas— where sensitive information is shared
•		Doctors’, Dentists’ and other practitioners’ offices — where privacy is essential in confined environments
•		Libraries and other quiet spaces — where, because of the lack of background noise, every sound is distracting

Why Use Sound Masking?

The ABC's of Workplace Acoustics
Solve building acoustics issues using three simple guidelines.

•		A = Absorb sound (usually via ceiling tile).
•		B = Block sound (via workstation panels, wall placement and workspace layout).
•		C = Cover sound (via sound masking).

A layered approach is optimal, although Covering with sound masking leads to the most dramatic improvements in speech privacy, and typically at the lowest cost.

The Best Solution to Your Sound Problem
Higher cubicles, rearranging your workspace and building full-height walls are also solutions to workplace noise issues, but the addition of a sound masking system is the most cost-effective path to improved workplace acoustics. Check out our Speech Privacy Calculator to learn more.

Qt Quiet technology™ vs. the Competition

Direct-Field Systems (Ours)
Direct field systems use miniature emitters to project a uniform sound directly into the workspace. The ceiling-mounted emitters disperse a pre-programmed spectrum and require no tuning. These are simple and inexpensive to install, and prevent overflow of sound into unintended spaces.  Direct field systems result in a quieter, far less complicated system that requires very little power. Paging and music require a direct field approach.  This technology is the newest evolution in sound masking for the workplace.

In-Plenum Systems (Theirs)
Plenum-based systems use large, paint can-like loudspeakers that are installed above the ceiling tile. Sound is projected upward and bounces off the ceiling deck, through the ceiling tiles and into the workspace below. These speakers require a complicated tuning process – and the resulting sound field is often still uneven with “hot” spots.  Noise easily spills into unintended spaces. Paging and music sounds inferior if done above the ceiling.  These systems require a great deal of power consumption and tuning effort while providing a lower quality result.

“In-plenum” systems used to be the only option for sound masking, but Cambridge Sound Management has raised the bar and moved sound masking a generation ahead™.