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Many offices are using open plan office layout resulting in superior use of space and better communication flow. However, the 50 million employees working in those cubicles are challenged by poor acoustic characteristics of the open plan.

Conventional offices have been replaced, in many cases, with cubicles. This means that more workers can be put into the same amount of space, with everyone close to everyone else. However, advanced building methods, the use of absorptive materials, and quieter office equipment have all contributed to reducing office noise by a significant amount.

An answer to the problem which has proven to be especially effective is to mask the sound with what is termed "white noise". Sound masking systems consist of speakers which emit unstructured sound throughout a factory or office. This is often described as sounding like the humming of a gentle breeze.

Sound masking has many benefits the most significant of which is reduced distractions with conversations and a more relaxed working environment. Sound masking can be easily set up and fits easily into new or existing facilities regardless of size. It provides a very efficient and affordable way to tackle acoustic troubles without having to perform structural modifications.

If you have ever tried running the water in the sink while attempting to talk with someone in an adjoining room, you are aware of the phenomenon of sound masking. Though you know that the other person is talking, it is very difficult to understand what they are saying because of the increased amount of sound in your area produced by the running water.

It could potentially be of help to know that a noise floor is simply the level of regular sound current in an environment. It can be wearisome and annoying if it is too high, but, if the noise floor is too low, it can be very easy to hear distracting noises and conversations.

By masking your floor, you can produce more privacy and conceal noises from 42 to 48 A-weighted decibels. This provides that your masking system efficiently covers distracting noises without becoming diversions as well.

It is said that about 50 million Americans do their job in open plan offices, and suffer considerable interruption as a result. Cubicles usually make better use of space and improve communication flow, but they are an acoustic challenge. The main benefit of sound masking includes reduced conversational distractions, and a more relaxed working atmosphere. Thus, privacy can be achieved via masking, which establishes a noise level sufficient to hide intrusive noises, but sufficiently low so as not to be bothersome. Modern buildings with absorptive walls and quiet machines have decreased the ambient level of office noise, reducing interruptions considerably.