A common question we encounter from clients is what to do when expanding on an existing sound masking system in their office space. During remodels or office expansion it’s common to add additional square footage and cubicle space where adjacent offices or storage space were located. In these cases, the speech privacy the sound masking provided is desired by the new tenant.

However, sound masking equipment and even its respected manufacturers have a limited life cycle, making it difficult to add additional speakers onto an existing system. While sound masking system warranties often reach or exceed 10 years, office lease extensions and lease renewals can require upgrades or extensions every 5-7 years or even sooner.

Identifying Existing Speech Privacy System

The first step to analyzing your system is popping open one of the acoustic ceiling tiles and determining the make and model of your existing speakers. Common speaker types include Lencore, Dyna Sound, Logison, Cambridge and Atlas, although many others also exist. Snapping a picture of the equipment and sending it to the manufacturer can often help determine if the system is still serviceable and whether it’s cost effective to do so. While in the plenum, also photograph the cable runs between the equipment to provide additional information.

Learn More About Sound Masking Systems

If the existing manufacturer and/or acoustical integrator can service the equipment, that is often the most cost effective approach. New speakers may simply be piggy-backed onto the existing sound masking system at a low marginal cost. If not, there’s often an opportunity to extend onto analog sound masking systems with similar hardware wired with 18-2 and 18-5 wire.  The existing control panel can then still provide volume control over the new speakers.

Sometimes the only approach is to add an adjacent set of speakers and to control it in parallel with the existing system. In this case the control panel is added into the IT room or IDF next to the original equipment.

Expanding an Existing Sound Masking System

When considering whether a sound masking system can be extended, consult an acoustical integrator with experience in balancing and tuning multiple masking systems. By consulting experienced sound masking installers and the original equipment manufacturers clients may best determine the most cost-effective approach.