Earbuds Sound Awful: Consumer Grade Audio Insufficient for the Enterprise

The Case for Well-Designed Audio in Business Meeting Spaces

Most of us don't give a lot of thought to the quality of audio generated by our phones, cars, televisions or PCs. This is unfortunate, because most of our consumer electronics devices that have audio capability produce only passable quality. Many audiophiles swear by their iOS or other device when it's used with the right peripherals in the right situation. But when audiophiles remark on the kind of quality these devices can produce, it's because they may be treating the iPhone only as a file store or a streaming interface. When used with high-quality peripherals, they're bypassing all of the built-in audio processing on the iPhone and using external speakers and sound processors which leverage data-rich connections such as the Lightening port (USB on Android) or Bluetooth connection. Fundamentally, there is nothing wrong with the sound of an iPhone (or many of its Android counterparts), as just one example, but when used with cheap earbuds, the overall audio experience is degraded.

Consumers Can Choose to Upgrade

The audio quality of the built-in microphone, speakers and sound processing in any smartphone is not the primary function considered when designing these devices. This is because the vast majority of reviews of smartphones focus on looks, screen, user interface, user experience, camera, and battery life, with lip service paid to call quality. In a highly price-sensitive and competitive market such as smartphones, it's not good practice for manufacturers to focus on areas that don't drive sales. This is not to say that sound quality for calls or playback is ignored; it's just that these are not the primary areas of focus, and as such, the quality is merely adequate. But, unlike the screen, camera, user interface, user experience and battery life, sound quality can be significantly improved by the user with the right peripherals.

The same observations on sound quality can be said for laptops. Manufacturers assume users who want good sound will use external devices. Reviews of laptops focus on screen quality, looks, weight, size and processor. These are aspects of the device that are very hard for the user to change. Again, the user is left to address sound quality on his/her own. Flat screen TVs follow the same path: They boast a great picture (the primary capability), lots of connectivity options, yet they often feature mid-quality sound components. Connecting that flat screen TV to a great sound bar or receiver with a surround sound system takes care of the audio.

Audio Set-Up for Enterprise

Choosing the right option for a conference room or meeting space can depend on a lot of factors. For large rooms, where the experience is required to be excellent, such as board rooms and presentation halls, there is no replacement for a consultant who truly understands how to make a room sound great. For medium to smaller rooms, the average IT professional can probably make the audio work. If the room is square or cube-shaped with hard, reflective surfaces, the audio set-up may be somewhat challenging. People and furniture, as odd as it sounds, can help a room sound better because they absorb sound energy and scatter reflections, thus reducing echoes. Choosing a vendor who specializes in room audio will provide a better result for enterprise conference spaces.

To design a good audio experience for any type of space, first consider the size of the room and the number and location of participants. How far away are the users from the microphones and speakers? Will everyone need to speak or just the presenter? Once these characteristics are defined, finding a product that is designed for that room size is critical. The world's greatest 50" flat panel display isn't going to cut it as the main display in a movie theater-why would a personal peripheral work well in a huddle room or medium-sized room with five or six people in it? It's not that the personal peripherals are poor quality, but rather, they are not designed for all types of room environments. When it comes to audio, one size does not fit all.

Productivity is Key

Poor audio means poor user experiences. Poor user experiences create three problems:

1. Misunderstandings that lead to potentially bad business decisions.

2. Frustration and stress that lead to user fatigue.

3. Escalating IT support calls that ultimately drive up cost.

Anyone who has ever been on a conference call has experienced the frustration of not being able to hear or having to repeat what was said. These minor inconveniences add up, and can be costly to a business. According to a frequently-cited 2003 study, the average cost for an employee to attend a meeting at a Fortune 2000 company was $527. This figure increases if people must repeat themselves. Technical difficulties and poor experience also take a toll on human beings, not just profits. Conference participants who must strain to hear and comprehend can suffer from a very real phenomenon called audio fatigue. This is why some conference calls feel physically exhausting.

An indirect consequence of poor audio is compromised security. If a user experiences enough of the frustrations described above, he or she may choose to bypass the office communication infrastructure and opt for personal/consumer solutions, which in turn, opens up the company to security risks, ranging anywhere from eavesdropping to full-scale hacking. By contrast, a good audio experience ensures that information is exchanged timely and accurately, people are empowered to make informed decisions, content stays within the corporate infrastructure, and IT can get on with enabling the next business advantage for the company.

Conclusion

Audio can be hard to get right, in both consumer and enterprise contexts. Consumer electronics often provide only rudimentary audio reproduction capability-which is by design. Rather than taking on the cost of incorporating good audio from the get-go, it's easier, and arguably better, for manufacturers to install merely "adequate" audio capability into their consumer electronics devices. This leaves users to pick upgraded audio solutions that work for their preferences. To avoid potential losses and confusion in the workplace setting, merely "adequate" consumer options should not be considered for enterprise applications. Investing in a good audio set-up, often provided by an audio professional, is imperative for a work environment where communication needs to be crystal clear, not just passable.

Alan MacLeod is Vice President of Product at Revolabs. Revolabs delivers better communication in the world of business with professional microphone systems and conference phones for telephony and unified communications. The company's introduction of wireless microphones for conferencing revolutionized business communications by allowing unprecedented freedom in meetings. More information can be found at www.revolabs.com.