What Makes Good Audio Solutions?

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]There's a massive, impossible-to-miss difference between poor and great sound quality. It's the difference between working efficiently and struggling to hear. It's the difference between appearing professional and appearing amateurish. Strong audio communicates and convinces better, which is something every company can benefit from. The best audio systems offer more than quality sound—they also offer excellent security, usability and flexibility. Here, we've included eight features of a high-quality audio system.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

High Quality Sound That Can Work In Any Acoustical Environment

Audio quality isn't everything, but the best sound systems start with it. A high-quality audio system is one that can produce a wide range of sounds, matching what we hear in real life as closely as possible. To do that, you'll need additional components like woofers or subwoofers, along with well-positioned speakers, high quality microphones, and an amplifier to boost the sound where needed. This way, you get a wide range of frequencies, including some bass. Many commercial audio solutions are all-in-one solutions, with microphones and speakers included in a single package. These solutions are convenient and easy to install, but most can't match the improved sound clarity that comes from a traditional audio solution. One notable exception is Shure's Stem solutions. The Stem line includes ceiling microphone arrays, wall and table speaker phones, and loudspeakers that can be combined for use in any collaborative space. Stem provides even audio coverage throughout a room, at a level of quality that surpasses other all-in-one options.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

Audio Zoning Capabilities

Part of what makes good sound is controlling where that audio comes from. As sound waves move through the room, they bounce off of walls and other objects. If the room's acoustics are poor, the amount of noise that builds up can make it difficult to hear. Advanced audio systems allow for audio zoning, which gives additional control over how audio propagates throughout the room. With audio zoning capabilities, users define which source is outputting at any time, in order to confine the audio to the spot where it's needed most. This is especially useful in large rooms where an echo could be a problem.

Quality Build And Durability

High quality build materials don't always mean high quality audio, but there's definitely a correlation. Durable build materials will hold up better during shipping and installation, reducing the likelihood of quality-related issues following placement. And while it's not the most important box to tick, audio components with better build quality tend to look better as well. They have the kind of aesthetic that's easier to blend into a commercial setting, which makes for a more immersive collaborative experience.

Compatibility With Leading Collaboration Platforms

Collaboration is key in the corporate world, and collaboration is what a great audio system is designed to improve. The whole point of installing that better sound solution is to help everyone hear each other better. That means you'll want a solution that works with modern AV conferencing technology. The best sound solutions can be integrated into modern AV controls, so you can adjust volume and audio zoning with a single gesture. Can the audio work with leading digital displays, tabletop control systems and video conferencing platforms? It should.

Secure, Encrypted Audio

AV conferencing may include the exchange of sensitive company information - the kind of information you don't want third parties intercepting. That's why an effective audio solution is a secure audio solution. Shure's audio solutions, for example, leverage AES-256 encryption technology to disguise and protect sensitive audio data. This is the same encryption solution that's used by financial, health and government institutions. Encryption is critical to keep sensitive information safe.

Intuitive Operation For People Of All Skill Levels

Getting your teams to adopt new audio technology is part of the challenge when integrating a new solution. If your solution is difficult to operate, that will be a big problem when expecting your team to use the technology. A great sound system is easy to use, especially if it's compatible with your existing AV control system. This is a design focus of Shure's Stem solutions. Each product in the Stem line is made to be compatible with a variety of conferencing platforms. Because it can be paired with your AV controls, you can power the system up and adjust audio levels from the table.

A Solution For Every Type Of Collaborative Space

Ideally, you pick one audio brand you're comfortable with and adapt its solutions for all the collaborative rooms you have. Splitting your focus between multiple audio brands will make it difficult to keep up with maintenance and inter-room compatibility. The audio brand you select will need to be flexible. Do they have solutions for a modest huddle room and a sprawling auditorium? Do they have a variety of audio products that can work in a variety of settings? A huddle room could get by with a single tabletop microphone and a speaker bar, but a large training room may need ceiling microphones and speakers mounted around the room. If a single vendor can provide all the gear you need for all of your rooms, every room will have excellent sound.

Scalability As Your Audio Solution Grows

Setting up an audio solution for a single room is one thing. Scaling that solution up is another thing entirely. If it's time to outfit many rooms at once or to build onto an existing room system, you'll want a solution that's easy to manage. Ideally, your audio solution will be remotely manageable so you can push over updates and monitor system performance at a glance, wherever your IT personnel are.

Strong Global Support Infrastructure

Even the best designed and installed audio solutions experience the occasional hiccup. When things go wrong, it's good to have expert support on your side to keep things running smoothly. AV integrators frequently consult with the brand's experts for installation, configuration and maintenance purposes, so a brand with a strong global presence will ensure your system can be easily maintained.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]

A Trusted AV Integrator Can Help Your Audio Solution Sound Better In Your Collaborative Spaces

As you can see, the best audio solutions have it all. Flexibility, scalability, security, quality, intercompatibility - that's a lot to check off if you're looking for a better audio system. And with so many audio components to consider, it's an intimidating job sourcing and putting together the necessary hardware. That's why many companies look to a certified AV integrator to manage the job. A reputable integrator is well-connected to leading audio brands and can match their clients' needs with the best performing technology. That way, your teams will be able to speak, listen and collaborate clearly.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]