The importance of sound quality

Sound is a crucial aspect of our everyday lives. Just think about it – most of us communicate verbally, and it’s pretty hard to understand body language alone. This makes sound the primary source of information. Words help us be clear and hearing a voice can already tell a lot about the message. 

But the crucial aspect of sound is its quality. And we know one thing for sure – in the world we live in, it’s the priority! How come? Bear with us as we dive deeper into the history of sound and explain why the sound quality is essential.

History of sound

Did you know that sound has gone through different eras? That’s right – its quality has gone a long way to what it is today. And it continues to evolve to this day. So, let’s look into the most significant eras of sound history to learn how much it’s changed! 

The acoustic era

Let’s travel back to 1877, which marks the beginning of the sound eras. This was when Thomas Edison invented the first machine to record sound – the phonograph. How did it work? Let’s say that when the sound enters through the horn, a needle engraves a pattern that later produces a similar sound to the original.

So, what’s so significant about the acoustic era? For starters, it was the first attempt to capture natural sound. And although primitive by today’s standards, the phonograph was revolutionary in that it opened new opportunities for improved communication. In fact, before finding its way to the world of entertainment, the device was initially used as a dictating machine.

The magnetic era

Another significant era of sound quality is the magnetic one. And as you might have guessed already, the recordings were now made on magnetic tapes and transferred to other media. 

According to GES, the era shifts focus from sound amplification to quality. After people figured out how to use audio technology for occasions such as films or concerts, they turned their attention to improving its quality. The focus here was to make the recorded sound as realistic as possible. 

The digital era

This brings us back to the most current, digital sound era. The age has experienced the most dramatic change in sound quality. And the most significant indicator of the difference is the invention of CDs. 

With the new technology, the sound became digital. What does that mean for its quality? Simply put, the audio signal is now converted into a digital form, which allows for richer and life-like sound. 

Why is sound quality important today?

You might ask, why is sound quality still relevant today if the digital era has already achieved the desired result? Well, it’s not as easy as it may sound. And perhaps the most significant indicator of the persisting need to improve sound quality came from the pandemic. 

In 2020, we entered into a digital world for activities that otherwise would happen in person. This meant that things like school, work, events, or meetings moved to video conferencing platforms. And even though the pandemic is coming to an end, remote platforms are here to stay!

According to Global Market Insights, in 2021-2027, analysts expect the video conferencing market to grow by 23%. It means that remote communication will thrive, and millions of active users will utilize it. So, what does that have to do with the sound quality?

During conference management in times of the Covid, a shift happened in sound being the new priority. It wasn’t only about how you look anymore, but more about how you sound. That’s when poor sound quality became one of the biggest issues. And since remote communication has become the new normal, it’s still a relevant issue today.

What does that mean for you? 

Whether you are an interpreter, technician, or event organizer, we can say this much – sound is the most impactful component of virtual communication platforms. And it holds a lot of influence on the overall video conferencing experience. How do we know this? 

At Interactio, we receive feedback from thousands of customers on an hourly basis. And as we seek to improve our remote video conferencing solution, we’ve collected a lot of feedback related to sound complaints. 

That’s why we’ve prepared a research report on sound complaints to provide possible solutions to make video conferencing an even more pleasant experience for all of us. Why not check it out?

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