Adaptive sound masking, which adjusts masking noise levels in response to ambient sounds, may inadvertently draw attention to the masking system itself, leading to increased distractions and reduced speech privacy. Consistent sound masking is more effective, as it remains unobtrusive and maintains a stable acoustic environment.
Ambient noise compensation is sometimes referred to as adaptive audio. While adaptive paging, emergency notifications, and even background music is good, adaptive sound masking may create more problems than it solves. With respect to paging, adaptivity is helpful because it makes sure that the signal-to-noise ratio is high, producing a more intelligible page.
Conversely, sound masking is only effective when it goes unnoticed. Any variation in volume will call attention to the masking sound and may result in distractions and dissatisfaction with the space- the challenges that masking is designed to reduce. For example, if the masking generator was set to increase the volume of the masking “noise” as the office was fuller, and then reduce the volume when the office was less full, those working in the space throughout the day would not become habituated to the consistency of the sound. As we have mentioned before, employees and tenants returning to offices where distractions are minimized and speech privacy is upheld will result in higher employee satisfaction and productivity.