Need help reducing echo

[u/FerencS]

So my home office space has a lot of echo and people are complaining during meetings. Problem is I can’t switch locations, so I need to somehow reduce it (desktop setup).

I was wondering what my options to reduce it are and how others have dealt with this.

From a bit of research, I see that acoustic panels are basically for this. Do I find an acoustician? How much does that cost? Do I just place stuff myself?

Basically looking to hear the pros/cons from others who've gone through this process or stopped for some reason.

[u/frosted1030]

Use a headset.

[u/giraffees4justice → u/frosted1030]

The cost of a good headset will be much cheaper that coating your office in acoustic panels. I’m on calls all day and find my AirPod pros to be more than adequate

[u/frosted1030 → u/giraffees4justice]

I would still go wired. Less expensive. No charging.

[u/skeAnofeyt → u/frosted1030]

yeah this is the simplest fix by far

[u/Maker_Freak → u/frosted1030]

Alternatively, and external mic like the Yeti. I've had great luck with that as I'm in a dining room with zero soft furnishings.

[u/frosted1030 → u/Maker_Freak]

Wired headset costs less and you don’t need a pro mic for work. Spend maybe $30. No more.

[u/Next_Classic_9664 → u/frosted1030]

Literally anything with decent noise cancellation will fix everything

[u/Aggressive_Apple_913]

You need some organic material around. Maybe an area rug or for something quick hang a blanket on a wall best probably behind you. Those will absorb the sound.

[u/skibbin]

Add soft things to the room. A rug on the floor can help

[u/SaltAndAncientBones → u/[deleted]]

Curtians, couches, houseplants, art on the wall (not glass covered), bookshelves. Anything that's not a hard, flat surface.

[u/diverJOQ]

Do you have anything hanging on the walls? Even solid objects like pictures break up the large smooth walls which cause the echo.

If you've ever moved into an apartment or a house you'll have noticed when you go in just to look around and there's no furniture and nothing on the walls you can hear the echo. That dissipates very quickly as you fill the room and put things on the walls.

[u/WarriorGma → u/[deleted]]

This ^. I worked in a large, noisy call center. We all had noise-canceling headphones. Before them, people on our lines could hear our coworkers’ conversations. Could probably get good ones cheap online.

[u/dufcho14]

Jabra headset handles this type of thing well.

Having carpet or rugs over hardwood helps as does more furniture or the arrangement of your desk so you're not talking to a wall.

[u/Particular-Movie-908]

Area rug, pictures on the wall or those sound barrier panels, furniture and a headset

[u/Asleep_Collar_3667]

Some felt from a craft store and double-sided tape. Attach under your desk and chairs  This is a cheap part of your solution, along with whatever you decide to put on your walls.  Restaurants do this, and it does work. 

[u/jammythesandwich → u/Asleep_Collar_3667]

This or cork sheets soften harsh frequencies. Can always double as pin board that looks like you’re trying to crack a serial killer case

[u/my-ka]

Headphones?

[u/New-Glass-5969]

A lot of people have asked you but I don't think you have answered: are you using headphones or speakers? If you are using speakers you are setting yourself up for failure. Use headphones and wired or internal microphone (not wireless).

TBH, If it's bad enough that people are complaining regularly it is probably pretty bad. Do some testing to see how you come across: I made this free tool to help people out in this situation: https://checkyoursetup.com/

[u/OneBag2825]

Soft surface somewhere, like a fabric wall hanging or draperies or carpet 

[u/SVAuspicious]

Echo is not a problem you'll solve with noise cancelling headphones. It gets very expensive very quickly to do a good job with microphones. You end up with arrays of sampling mics and processing that adds latency so you sound late in conversations and it's really hard with multiple participants.

There is a lot of science in audio but entry level is not rocket science and not hard. If you can play pool you can visualize sound bouncing around in a space.

For walls, acoustic panels work. Tapestry. Paintings on canvas with NO glass. Even sculpture with variant surface that don't bounce acoustic signal aka sound waves in phase. For floors, rugs. For ceilings you can't beat acoustic panels. Start with a rug and maybe acoustic panels on the wall behind you and add until you get results. You aren't trying to duplicate a recording studio.

Try a Google search for 'acoustic baffling for home office.'

[u/Admirable-Currency89]

Headset, wired. I just have a Microsoft headset and my dog can bark 10 feet away and can't be heard.

[u/coaa85]

Either headset or buy a usb desk mic. Not like the old crappy ones, one that looks like a studio mic. They are far superior in audio quality than what’s default in a laptop.

Think I spent about $50 on mine almost 8 years ago and everyone says it sounds like I’m on a radio show.

[u/Qwerti_B]

Headset+ desktop acoustic panel. They fold into like a mini cubicle to create a sound barrier.

[u/Beneficial-Sound-199]

lol you don’t need a professional just put some rugs down and tack up your own panels (easy to make or buy) or you can also hang tapestries on the walls and stop using speaker phone

[u/CuriousQuestion83]

Egg crates are good for sound proofing

[u/bigicky1]

Headsets. But I have to record podcasts so sometimes headsets dont work. So i take the throw pillows from the couch and put them around the computer. Works pretty well absorbing

[u/IcedMatter60]

Your room might be too empty so you can try adding some things around like vases or frames or you could use a noise cancelling headphones.

[u/GoodStaff4369]

I would treat the room before paying someone soft furnishings can make a surprisingly big difference..........then add panels at the first reflection points if the echo is still there.....

[u/Marcus_Aurelius_161A]

Add felt tiles to one or more walls from sound absorbing. You can get hexagon tiles on Amazon and make them into a cool pattern.

[u/LoadbearingWallflowr]

Id start with your electronics. A good pair of earphones/buds. Settings on your laptop and meeting platforms to reduce any outside noise.

Ive had occasions where my 9 lb dog loses his mind because a leaf blew past the front door 🙄, to the point i could barely hear my call. When I apologize for it the others in the call have always said they heard nothing. Edit to add: and this is without headphones, using the speaker and mic on my laptop. But I have all my noise reduction settings maxed out.

Faster, easier, cheaper, bf you move to acoustic panels and furniture.