Office White Noise System
These days, white noise machines are all the buzz. They became increasingly popular during the pandemic as a way to block out unwanted noise in the background, as many couples and families became forced to work in close quarters. White noise machines and white noise playlists on Spotify played in homes and apartments everywhere.
Though many are no longer working from home or participating in remote learning, white noise is still incredibly useful in a variety of ways.Some use it to block out the obnoxious sound of their partner snoring at night. Some use it to help their babies sleep. Some adults even use white noise to help themselves sleep!
White Noise For Work
But as the majority of the workforce returns to the office, white noise machines for offices have become increasingly popular. While we relearn how to work together in-person, a white noise machine for the office can help sooth nerves, block out unwanted noise, and help employees focus.
Throughout this article, we will first define white noise, then list its positives and negatives for an office environment. We’ll also explain how Yamaha’s VSP-2 provides a refreshing alternative to a typical white noise system for office or sound masking machines.
First, what is white noise?
What is White Noise?
Though the true definition of white noise is any combination of sounds that includes all equal frequencies between 20 and 20,000 Hertz, white noise, or whit enoise for work, has become a term used widely to mean a variety of different things. Some use the phrase “white noise” to refer to any combination of sounds, or any unrecognizable sound.
For those of us who think visually, white noise, like the color white, encompasses all the colors of noise. While other colors of noise, like brown noise or pink noise, focus on one specific frequency, white noise includes all frequencies within the threshold of human hearing.
What are some of the beneficial effects of a white noise system for office?
Applying white noise in an office environment is a great way to make employees feel calm, focused, and less stressed.
Increased Focus with Office White Noise
Because white noise includes all frequencies, it tends to successfully mask other sounds. By providing a blanket of sound to cover a variety of random noises, these noises get woven into the sound of white noise and are unheard.
We’ve already covered this concept in the realm of remote work or remote learning. However, it’s equally, if not more important in office spaces - especially because we’ve all gotten accustomed to working from home.
Many of us have forgotten just how noisy offices can be! Think back to the realities of a copy machine, employee water cooler chatter, phones ringing, clocks ticking, and coworkers taking meetings in the background. These extra sounds have only increased in the era of the open work space; and each sound has the potential to distract employees from work.
White noise machines for offices block out this extra noise, thus increasing focus.
Reduced Anxiety with Office White Noise
Another benefit of adding a white noise machine for the office is reducing anxiety in the workplace.
After over two years of working from home, we’ve all gotten accustomed to our remote working lifestyle and rhythm. We’ve created a safe haven to keep ourselves accountable in our work from home set up, learned productivity tricks, and learned tools for managing remote teams.
Now that we’re coming back into the office, or working a combination of both in a hybrid work model, many are certain to feel anxious and unsettled, as their routines are getting disrupted once again.
White noise for offices can provide solace for those struggling with anxiety by limiting the distractions of the office, making a more neutral environment. Furthermore, the buzz of white noise is a sound that can bring calmness and relaxation to those feeling a little tense.
How to Use a White Noise Machine for Privacy
One of the little-known benefits of white noise machines for offices is sound masking and speech privacy.
As more and more companies are returning to the office, sensitive conversations are happening in public places again, so it’s important for your commercial office to have a speech privacy system. It is crucial to prevent information leakage in the huddle rooms and private offices from the accidental, external listener who happens to be walking by - not to mention, protecting your business from compliance risk.
While many sound masking products exist for the purpose of protecting office privacy, they tend to emit an obnoxiously loud sound into the atmosphere, distracting the employees from their work. Yamaha’s VSP-2 Speech Privacy System utilizes a custom combination of natural sounds to mask sensitive information at up to 8db lower than traditional sound masking systems. It does this by reducing speech intelligibility for the person or people whom the conversation wasn’t ever intended to hear.
Not only does the VSP-2 mask sound at a lower volume, it also isn’t technically considered “white noise”, because it features a key differentiator than typical white noise machines: the human voice!
White Noise Machines for Office Privacy
Yes, you heard that right. Yamaha’s VSP-2 Speech Privacy System includes three different sound elements - including Speech Sound Masker, created from elements of the human voice!
This key differentiator is what makes the VSP-2 perform increased masking effectiveness than conventional noise masking sounds when used with English speech. Read our Yamaha’s Unique Information-Masking Sound: Superiority and Technical Evidence article to learn more.
Plus, the VSP-2 Speech Privacy System is safe to use with our other audio solutions: like
ADECIA Ceiling,
ADECIA Wireless,
ADECIA Tabletop, or
the CS-800 Video Sound Bar, because the
noise cancellation technology blocks it out!
In sum, while white noise machine for the office has its benefits, a speech privacy solution is easier to implement and provides more effective sound masking around human conversation. If you’re interested in the
VSP-2 Speech Privacy System or any other audio solution offered by Yamaha UC, don’t hesitate to reach out!
Interested in use cases for the VSP-2? Click here.
Want to know more about how the VSP-2 would work in your particular space?
Click here.