Hot Spots

Published February 2000

In a sound masking system, those areas in a room where the hissing of white noise is louder than elsewhere. Technically, called poor spatial uniformity. The problem derives from plenum speakers located too far apart, right next to a reflecting element such as a big duct, or from openings in the ceiling for air return or light fixture cooling. Ceiling products with low transmission loss or low STC ratings are prone to hot spots.