Good conference room acoustics mean speech stays clear in the room and on the call: short reverberation (echo), low background noise and enough sound isolation from neighbors. Most meeting rooms fix acoustics with absorptive wall panels, a ceiling with acoustic tiles, a rug or carpet, and soft furnishings, then place microphones close to the people talking. Hard rooms with glass, drywall and concrete are the main cause of hollow, echoey video calls.
What room acoustics means
Room acoustics is how sound behaves in a space: how it reflects, how long it lingers and how much outside noise gets in. Three things matter for meetings:
| Factor | What it is | Why it matters on calls |
|---|---|---|
| Reverberation | Sound bouncing off hard surfaces and lingering | Mics pick up the room's echo along with the voice; remote people hear a "bathroom" sound |
| Background noise | HVAC, projectors, hallway, street | Masks speech; noise suppression can clip words |
| Sound isolation | How much sound leaks in or out | Privacy, and noise from next door ending up on the call |
Reverberation is usually measured as RT60: the time it takes sound to drop by 60 dB. Shorter is better for speech. Many acoustic consultants aim for well under a second in a meeting room, with lower values for video rooms. See conference room acoustic requirements for standards and ratings.
Why video calls expose bad acoustics
In person, your brain filters out a lot of echo. A microphone doesn't. It captures the direct voice and every reflection. The far end hears both, which sounds distant and muddy. Echo-canceling and noise-suppression software helps, but it can't remove heavy reverb without making voices sound processed.
Design principles for a new room
- Avoid parallel hard surfaces. Two glass walls facing each other create flutter echo. Treat at least one.
- Plan an acoustic ceiling. Acoustic ceiling tiles do a lot of the work in most offices.
- Use carpet or a large rug. Hard floors add reflections, especially in small rooms.
- Specify walls to the deck (slab to slab) for privacy, with sealed penetrations. See soundproofing a conference room.
- Keep HVAC quiet. Ask for low-noise diffusers and avoid placing returns over the table.
- Put the display wall and camera wall in the plan. Glass behind the display reflects the speaker back into the mics.
Full design guidance: conference room design guidelines.
How to improve acoustics in an existing room
Start with the cheapest fixes:
| Fix | Effort | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Add a large rug | Low | Cuts floor reflections |
| Close blinds or add fabric curtains over glass | Low | Reduces reflections from windows |
| Add acoustic wall panels | Medium | Biggest single improvement in hard rooms |
| Add a fabric-covered pinboard or bookshelf | Low | Breaks up flat walls |
| Replace the ceiling tiles with acoustic tiles | Medium | Large improvement in rooms with hard ceilings |
| Hanging baffles or clouds | Medium | For open or exposed ceilings |
| Sound masking in surrounding areas | Higher | Improves privacy (sound masking) |
Panel quantity and placement: conference room acoustic panels. Quick reverb fixes: how to reduce echo.
Where to place acoustic panels
- At seated head height on walls facing each other.
- On the wall behind the people at the far end of the table (the wall the camera faces).
- On the back wall opposite the display.
- Avoid putting all treatment on one wall; spread it out.
Microphones and acoustics
Good acoustics and good mic placement work together. The closer the mic is to the talker, the more direct voice it captures relative to room echo.
- Small rooms: a video bar's built-in mics are usually enough after basic treatment.
- Medium and long tables: add table mics like Logitech Rally Mic Pod or Poly Studio A2.
- Clean-table or large rooms: ceiling mics like the AVer FONE700.
- No room system: a speakerphone like the Jabra Speak2 75 in the middle of the table.
See conference room microphones and conference room audio guide.
Quick test
Clap once in the empty room. If you hear a ringing tail or a flutter, the room needs treatment. Then join a test call from your phone in another room and listen to how the room sounds through its own mics. See how to test a video conferencing system.
Fighting echo in a room? Send us the room size and surfaces and we'll recommend mics that suit it.
Related guides
- Conference Room Audio Guide: Mics, Speakers and Echo
- How to Reduce Echo in a Conference Room (Reverb Fixes)
- Best Conference Room Audio and Sound Systems by Room Size
- Large Conference Room Audio and Microphone Systems
- Best Conference Room Microphones for Teams and Zoom
- Hollow Square and Herringbone Meeting Room Setups
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