As one of the five basic human senses, sound plays a vital part in how the world does business. Some of the world’s biggest companies place a lot of their eggs in the speaker business basket to help you amplify your favorite music throughout your home or office.
Step into any shopping mall, store or office building, and there’s a good chance that you’ll hear music or other messaging through sound systems installed by an AV integrator.
Businesses everywhere depend on good quality office audio systems to help promote their business, sell products and entertain their guests.
How strange would it be if there was no music or public address announcers at sporting events? How would your shopping habits change if there were no music or advertisements in your favorite store? Can you hear everyone when you call in remotely to meetings, or is your office severely lacking some audio equipment to improve that quality?
Intelligible, efficient meetings & office environments
As working remotely and videoconferencing increase, audio solutions are becoming more important for the boardroom and huddle space, said Jim Mauger, a senior systems designer at AV integration firm Spinitar.
First and foremost, a quality office audio system — including speakers, microphones, audio distribution and other equipment — can improve an organization’s intelligibility as it relates to meetings and conference calls.
“That’s an expectation whether you’re doing an analog system or a network-based system,” Mauger says.
A quality audio system gives organizations the ability to turn off the cameras and still be able to run a productive meeting.
“You’ve got to have good audio quality both ways, especially with conferencing,” Mauger says.
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Depending on the system, there’s also a convenience factor a quality audio system brings, as many networked systems can eliminate most unsightly equipment like wires and cabling on the table or floor.
Audio solutions like sound masking can help improve a corporate office environment with background music, while other systems like sound masking can help to drown out background noise so your employees will be more focused on the task at hand.
Versatility
Most office audio systems installed by an AV integrator can be used for a variety of function, and today’s systems can be reconfigured based on use cases.
From a control system touch panel, an executive or presenter can change the microphone pickup pattern in a conference room based on the use case at that time.
“That’s a flexibility they wouldn’t otherwise have with analog mics,” Mauger said.
Advanced audio systems can also be used as most people intended — music.
For example, the same facility in an executive conference room could also play house music. A similar system can also bring music to lounges, bathrooms, lobbies and elevators.
“There’s a convenience factor there,” Mauger said.
A lasting impression
The obvious use case for office audio systems are to create experiences your clients and business partners will remember long after they’re gone.
“People that invest in audio technology are really interested in people walking away from their space and having a good experience,” Mauger said.
If you’ve gone to a local concert or to a speaking event and found it hard to understand what was being said, then you aren’t getting the most out of your time and money spent on the ticket.
The same goes for your clients. A conference call with crystal clear audio will leave a new customer feeling good about their choice to work with you.
For those with an ear for it, it can be glaringly obvious when a sound system just isn’t cutting it for its given use case.
“People talk later on about what they just experienced,” Mauger said. “That speaks volumes about the company.”
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