Employees often complain about:

• Conversations carrying out of meeting rooms.
• Sensitive discussions being overheard.
• Distractions from colleagues in open-plan spaces.

Even with high-quality partitioning systems, many offices are disappointed with the results. Why? Because:

• • Partitions rarely go slab-to-slab. Gaps above suspended ceilings or below raised floors allow sound to leak.
  • Background noise is too low. Ironically, a “quiet” office makes overheard conversations more noticeable.
  • Acoustic panels are overlooked. Surfaces reflect sound instead of absorbing it, allowing it to travel further.

Clients often invest heavily in:

• Extra barriers above partitions
• Laying blocking layers over suspended ceilings
• Heavier wall constructions

But these solutions are costly, disruptive, and often fail to meet expectations. Why? Because true soundproofing is complex — and sometimes near impossible in an existing office without major construction.

Instead of spending tens of thousands on barriers, sound masking introduces a subtle background sound that makes speech less intelligible.

Think of it like adding a layer of “acoustic privacy.” By raising the ambient sound level in a controlled way, conversations blend into the background, making them harder to overhear.

• In open-plan offices: reduces distractions and increases focus.
• In meeting rooms: protects confidentiality and compliance.
• In reception or waiting areas: improves comfort and privacy.

While sound masking handles speech privacy, sound absorbing panels are essential for controlling echo and reverberation inside the room.

Together, the two approaches create:

• Clearer speech inside the room.
• Better privacy outside the room.
• A more balanced acoustic environment overall.

In North America, sound masking has been standard practice in workplace design for decades. But in the UK and Europe, it’s still misunderstood or overlooked — often confused with “white noise” systems.

The result? Businesses spend money on traditional “soundproofing” methods that don’t solve the problem, while the proven solution remains underutilised.

Study after study confirms it: the biggest issue in modern offices isn’t décor or even technology — it’s noise.

• Lack of speech privacy ranks as the top complaint in open-plan offices.
• Noise distractions reduce productivity by as much as 40%.
• Employees cite confidentiality as a major concern in meeting rooms.

Sound masking directly addresses these challenges, delivering both comfort and compliance.

At Resonics, after more than 5,000 projects across the UK and Europe, we’ve seen it all. And our conclusion is simple:

• For speech privacy, sound masking is more effective than structural soundproofing in most offices.
• For comfort and clarity, sound absorbing panels complete the solution.

Together, these create workplaces where people can collaborate, focus, and communicate confidentially — without the distractions and frustrations of noise transfer.

If you’re struggling with noise transfer or speech privacy in your office or meeting rooms, don’t waste money on ineffective fixes.

Call us on 0207 858 1030 or request a FREE acoustic survey today.