Speech Privacy
Reduce how clearly conversations carry beyond the people they were meant for.
Service
AET designs, installs and supports sound masking, speech privacy and acoustic comfort solutions for workplaces that need calmer, more private environments.
From initial survey and specification to commissioning and aftercare, AET helps identify the right acoustic approach and keep it performing over time.
What we deliver
Every workplace has different acoustic conditions. AET supports the full process, from understanding the space to designing, installing, commissioning and maintaining the right solution.
AET reviews the space, layout, ceiling conditions and privacy requirement before recommending the most suitable acoustic approach.
Where sound masking is required, AET designs the speaker layout, zones, control equipment and signal profile around the building.
AET plans and installs systems with practical consideration for the workplace, ceiling structure and facilities team requirements.
The system is tested, adjusted and balanced so the background sound is even, controlled and suitable for the space.
AET can inspect, service, adjust and support systems so they continue to perform as the workplace changes.
We offer standalone consultancy, acoustic assessments, specification review and second opinions for clients in planning or procurement.
Workplace acoustic solutions
Start with the issue you need to solve: distracting speech, poor privacy, reverberation, or support for an existing system. AET can help identify the most practical route.
Reduce how clearly conversations carry beyond the people they were meant for.
Introduce controlled background sound to make distracting speech less intelligible.
Reduce echo and reverberation with panels, rafts, baffles and printed acoustic finishes.
Keep existing sound masking systems checked, adjusted and performing over time.
Office acoustic issues rarely sit in one place. Conversations travel, rooms echo, privacy weakens and people lose focus. AET looks at the full environment before recommending the right combination of solutions.
Overheard speech can pull people out of focused work, even when the conversation has nothing to do with them.
Repeated acoustic interruptions create recovery time and make it harder for teams to stay focused.
Filtering unwanted speech and background noise throughout the day adds unnecessary cognitive load.
Private conversations can travel beyond the intended area, creating avoidable confidentiality risks.
Aftercare
A sound masking system should continue to match the way the workplace is used. AET can help with system checks, adjustments, servicing and practical advice where room layouts, occupancy or acoustic conditions change.
Where an issue sits outside the sound masking system itself, AET can also advise on next steps such as acoustic testing, door seals, absorption or specialist referrals.
Inspection and cleaning of the system, control unit checks, audio output checks, minor adjustments where practical and spot checks across treated areas.
Extended support for the lifetime of the contract, including eligible labour and parts, test reports, operational checks and planned system reviews.
Proof points
Practical answers for teams considering sound masking, speech privacy, acoustic panels, installation or aftercare.
The best approach depends on the problem you are trying to solve. If speech is too clear across an open-plan office, sound masking may help. If a room feels harsh, echoey or uncomfortable, acoustic panels or baffles may be more appropriate. If conversations are escaping from meeting rooms, the issue may involve doors, partitions, ceiling voids or other weak paths.
AET looks at the space first, then recommends the right combination of acoustic measures.
Sound masking is a system that introduces controlled background sound to make speech less intelligible at distance.
Speech privacy is the outcome: conversations are less easily understood by people they were not intended for.
Acoustic panels, rafts and baffles reduce reverberation and reflected sound, helping rooms feel calmer and more comfortable.
In many workplaces, the best solution may involve more than one of these measures.
If the main issue is that conversations are too easy to understand across the room, sound masking may be the right starting point. If the space feels loud, harsh or echoey, acoustic treatment may be needed to reduce reverberation.
Some spaces need both. Sound masking helps with speech intelligibility, while acoustic panels help control reflected sound. A survey can identify which issue is causing the biggest problem.
Acoustic panels can help reduce reflected sound and improve comfort, but they do not usually stop conversations being overheard on their own.
If speech privacy is the main issue, the space may also need sound masking, layout changes, door seals or attention to weak sound paths. Panels are often part of the solution, but they should be specified around the actual privacy problem.
A workplace acoustic survey helps identify how sound behaves in the space. This may include reviewing the layout, ceiling conditions, room use, background sound levels, speech privacy requirements and areas where conversations are being overheard.
The aim is to understand the cause of the issue before recommending a solution. That might involve sound masking, acoustic panels, system adjustment, installation work or further acoustic advice.
Yes. Sound masking can often be installed in existing offices as well as during refurbishments or new fit-outs.
The installation approach depends on the ceiling structure, access, cabling routes, control requirements and how the space is used. AET can review the workplace and advise on a practical route that minimises disruption while achieving the required acoustic effect.
The level of disruption depends on the size of the project, the ceiling type and the access available. Many systems can be planned around normal workplace requirements, with installation and commissioning arranged to suit the site.
AET will review the space, agree the installation approach and work with the facilities team so the system can be installed, tested and adjusted with minimal unnecessary disruption.
A sound masking system should continue to match the way the workplace is used. Over time, layouts change, teams move, furniture is reconfigured and acoustic conditions can shift.
Aftercare can include system checks, cleaning, output testing, minor adjustments, control unit checks and support where performance needs to be reviewed. Regular servicing helps keep the system aligned with the space.