Approximately 50 million Americans work in open plan offices. Open plan offices are environments in which workers do their job in closely-grouped cubicles. Though these cubicles are more space-efficient and improve the communication between workers, they are an acoustic challenge.

Conventional walls have now given way to modular workstations, more workers are making use of the same space, and everybody is seated near one another. But you will also see that, the latest building methods, absorptive actions, and quieter office equipment have considerably lowered the surrounding sound level and office noise has been reduced considerably.

Sound masking - often referred to as "white noise" - has been a particularly successful solution. A sound masking system contains a set of speakers that produce an engineered background sound all through the facility. This hum is for the most part frequently compared to that of gently blowing air.

Sound masking has the advantage of decreasing disturbances and providing a comfortable working atmosphere. It is easy to set up a sound masking system in new or existing facilities of any size and it offers a better way of resolving acoustic troubles at low cost without requiring any structural changes.

If you try to run water in your sink while trying to converse with someone in the adjacent room, you will be aware of how sound masking works. You will know that your partner is talking, but it is hard to understand what is being said since the running water in the kitchen has increased the sound in your area.

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.

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, usually in the range of 42-48 dBA. Thus these systems can successfully drown out irritating sounds while not being disruptive themselves.

Conventional walls are being replaced by modular workstations, as more workers are using the same working space, and everyone is seated in close proximity to one another. You will also see, though, that modern building methods, along with absorptive actions, and quiet machines, have decreased the ambient level of office noise, reducing the volume considerably. The main benefit of sound masking includes reduced conversational distractions and a normally more relaxed working atmosphere. Through masking privacy can be achieved, which establishes a noise level sufficient to hide intrusive noises, but sufficiently low so as not to be bothersome, usually in the range of 42-48 dBA.