Meeting Room Audio (Part 2): Room acoustics
Fix the room before you fix the equipment
The best microphone in the world can't fix a room that sounds like a bathroom. Before investing in audio equipment, assess the room's acoustics:
Problem indicators:
You can hear your voice reverberate when you clap in the room
Conversations sound hollow or echoey to the unaided ear
Remote participants consistently complain about audio quality despite working equipment
Practical fixes:
Ceiling: Acoustic ceiling tiles dramatically reduce reverberation. If the room has an exposed concrete or plasterboard ceiling, this is the single highest-impact improvement.
Walls: Acoustic panels on at least two walls absorb reflections. Prioritise the wall behind the main speaking positions and the wall opposite.
Floor: Carpet or large rugs absorb sound from foot traffic, chair movement, and table vibration. Hard floors reflect everything.
Soft furnishings: Upholstered chairs, curtains over glass walls, and fabric dividers all contribute to absorption.
You don't need to hire an acoustician for a standard meeting room. But if you're fitting out a boardroom where audio quality is critical, a basic acoustic assessment before equipment selection is worth the investment.
Audio Architecture by Room Size
Huddle (3-6)
Microphone - Video bar built-in
Speakers - Video bar built-in
AEC Handled By - Video bar
Approx Audio Cost - Included in video bar
Medium (6-12)
Microphone - Video bar + extension pods
Speakers - Video bar built-in or soundbar
AEC Handled By - Video bar
Approx Audio Cost - $500-$3000
Large (12-20)
Microphone - Ceiling array or multiple table pods
Speakers - Ceiling speakers + amplifier
AEC Handled By - External DSP
Approx Audio Cost - $5,000–$15,000
Boardroom (16-30)
Ceiling beamforming array
Ceiling speakers + amplifier
AEC Handled By - External DSP
Approx Audio Cost - $10,000–$25,000
Training (20–50+)
Microphone - Multiple ceiling arrays
Speakers - Zoned ceiling speakers
AEC Handled By - External DSP
Approx Audio Cost - $15,000–$40,000+
Testing Audio After Installation
Don't sign off on a meeting room installation until you've tested the audio properly:
Join a test call from a remote location. Have someone sit in every seat and speak at a normal volume. Can you hear every position clearly? Any seats that are quiet or muffled?
Test echo. Speak from the remote side and listen for your own voice coming back. If you hear even a faint echo, AEC needs adjustment.
Test noise rejection. Turn on the air conditioning, open the door to the hallway, and have someone type on a laptop. Does the microphone transmit these sounds to the remote side?
Test content sharing audio. Play a video with audio through the room system. Can the remote side hear it clearly without echo?
Test the "shuffling papers" scenario. Have someone shuffle papers or tap a pen near a table microphone. If it's clearly audible to the remote side, noise suppression needs tuning.
Need Help With Meeting Room Audio?
Audio is the part of meeting room technology where the difference between "good enough" and "done properly" is most apparent. We design, install and tune meeting room audio systems for rooms of every size, from huddle rooms with a simple video bar to boardrooms with ceiling arrays and DSP processing.
If your meeting rooms have audio problems, we can diagnose the issue and recommend the most cost-effective fix. Sometimes it's equipment. Sometimes it's acoustics. Often it's both.
Book a free room assessment. Ucomm will evaluate your room audio and show you what needs to change.