Conference Room Acoustic Measurement
Conference rooms demand short reverberation times, low background noise, and even frequency response to support both in-person discussion and remote video conferencing. SonaVyx measures the acoustic parameters that determine meeting quality and guides you toward targeted improvements.
Key Challenges
- Excessive reverberation from glass walls and hard surfaces degrading speech clarity
- HVAC noise exceeding NC-30 target for teleconferencing rooms
- Echo and feedback during video calls from untreated parallel surfaces
- Uneven speaker coverage from ceiling-mounted conference audio systems
- Multiple room sizes with different acoustic requirements in one building
Recommended Tools
RT60 Calculator
Verify reverberation time meets the 0.4-0.6s target for conference rooms under 200 m3
SPL Meter
Measure background noise level and NC/NR rating to ensure HVAC meets specifications
STI Measurement
Confirm speech intelligibility exceeds STI 0.60 at all participant positions
Treatment Calculator
Calculate the exact absorption area needed to bring RT60 into specification
Measurement Workflow
- 1
Measure Background Noise
With HVAC running and room unoccupied, measure A-weighted background noise. Target NC-25 to NC-30 for standard rooms, NC-20 for executive boardrooms.
- 2
Capture RT60
Measure reverberation time at the center of the conference table. Target 0.4-0.6s at 500 Hz and 1 kHz for rooms under 200 cubic meters.
- 3
Verify STI
Position the phone at the far end of the table from the primary speaking position. STI should exceed 0.60 for comfortable communication.
- 4
Test Ceiling Speakers
If the room has ceiling-mounted speakers, measure frequency response at each seat position to check coverage uniformity (target within 3 dB).
- 5
Calculate Treatment
Use the treatment calculator with current RT60 to determine how many square meters of acoustic panels are needed. Target first-reflection points on walls and ceiling.
- 6
Generate Report
Document measurements against corporate AV specifications. Include before/after data if treatment has been installed.
Modern conference rooms are often designed with aesthetics prioritized over acoustics — glass partitions, polished concrete floors, and open ceilings create environments where reverberation times exceed 1.5 seconds and background noise masks quiet speakers. SonaVyx provides the measurement framework to diagnose these issues and verify that solutions actually work.
Why Conference Room Acoustics Matter
In a reverberant conference room, speech intelligibility drops below the threshold where remote participants on video calls can follow the discussion. Studies show that rooms with RT60 above 0.8 seconds at mid-frequencies cause noticeable listener fatigue within 30 minutes. The combination of reverberation and background noise from HVAC systems creates a compounding effect measured by the signal-to-noise ratio at each participant position.
SonaVyx SPL meter with NC/NR curve analysis quantifies background noise against the ASHRAE and ANSI S12.2 recommendations. Conference rooms should achieve NC-25 to NC-30, while executive boardrooms and telepresence suites require NC-20 or lower. Identifying whether noise comes from HVAC diffusers, ductwork breakout, or external sources guides the remediation strategy.
Measuring for Video Conferencing Quality
Video conferencing systems with echo cancellation (AEC) perform significantly better in rooms with controlled acoustics. When RT60 exceeds 0.6 seconds, AEC algorithms struggle to separate direct speech from reflections, leading to echo artifacts and reduced call quality. SonaVyx RT60 measurement at 500 Hz and 1 kHz provides the key metrics that AV integrators use to specify acoustic treatment.
Ceiling-mounted speakers and microphones require even frequency response across the seating area. SonaVyx transfer function measurement verifies coverage uniformity — the SPL difference between the nearest and farthest participant positions should be within 3 dB for all speech-band frequencies (250 Hz to 4 kHz).
Treatment Specification
The SonaVyx treatment calculator takes your measured RT60 and room dimensions, applies Sabine or Eyring formulas, and calculates the exact additional absorption area needed at each octave band. Common solutions include fabric-wrapped fiberglass panels at first reflection points, acoustic ceiling tiles replacing hard surfaces, and absorption clouds above the conference table.
For glass-walled rooms, treatment options include acoustically transparent fabric over absorptive panels mounted behind glass, ceiling-mounted baffles, and purpose-designed acoustic furniture. The treatment calculator accounts for the absorption coefficients of 55 common materials and shows predicted post-treatment RT60 alongside the target.
Commissioning and Verification
After treatment installation, re-measure RT60, background noise, and STI to confirm specifications are met. SonaVyx before/after comparison mode overlays the frequency response curves so you can see and quantify the improvement at each measurement position. The commissioning report documents compliance for building management or the AV integrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
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