What is the best sound system for an office?

An office sound system must deliver three functions: background music, paging and sound masking. These require even coverage at low SPL, clear speech intelligibility and the ability to create separate zones across open plan areas, meeting rooms and corridors. The most effective approach is a distributed system using ceiling loudspeakers on a 70/100 V line, driven by networked amplifiers with DSP. This allows centralized control, simple expansion and efficient wiring over long distances.

For ceiling loudspeakers, the SSOUNDS CL6 and CL8 are ideal for general office areas. They provide wide, even dispersion and are designed for 70/100 V line operation, making them suitable for large numbers of units per amplifier channel. For spaces with high ceilings or where ceiling mounting is not possible, the LC8.2 and LC16.2 slim column loudspeakers offer controlled vertical dispersion and can be wall-mounted. The P series install loudspeakers (P4, P5, P6T, P10T, P12T) provide higher output for larger spaces or where more direct sound is needed. The T models run on 70/100 V lines, while non-T models are low impedance. For meeting rooms that require fuller range audio, the M series point-source boxes and subwoofers can be added.

Sizing and selection depend on room dimensions, ceiling height, ambient noise level and desired SPL. For background music and paging, aim for a coverage pattern where loudspeakers are spaced to provide overlapping coverage at ear height, typically with 3 to 6 dB variation. In open plan offices, sound masking is often integrated by using the same ceiling loudspeakers to reproduce a gentle broadband noise, which reduces speech distraction. Zone control is essential: separate zones for open plan, meeting rooms, reception and corridors allow different sources and volume levels. The SSOUNDS A series networked amplifiers with DSP and Dante provide the processing, routing and zone management required, and can be controlled via network.

SSOUNDS designs and installs sound systems worldwide from our offices in the United Kingdom, United States, Nigeria and Ghana, and we support projects across West Africa and beyond. For offices, we recommend a distributed ceiling loudspeaker system on a 70/100 V line with networked amplification and DSP, tailored to the specific zones and acoustic requirements of the space.