{"id":17099,"date":"2026-03-24T11:17:21","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T18:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.withbureau.com\/?post_type=glossary&#038;p=17099"},"modified":"2026-04-01T20:25:53","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T03:25:53","slug":"sound-transmission-class","status":"publish","type":"glossary","link":"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/ca\/glossary\/sound-transmission-class\/","title":{"rendered":"Sound Transmission Class (STC)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f35b626d06f168bc940d72341bcc0e17\">Sound Transmission Class (STC) measures how well a sealed wall reduces airborne sound under controlled lab conditions. While useful for traditional construction, it does not reflect real-world performance in open or ventilated environments, where factors like gaps and airflow impact sound isolation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why STC Falls Short in Real-World Acoustic Environments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-984fe380bd272001593a897141e94ef2\">STC is often treated as a universal measure of acoustic performance, but its limitations become clear outside of controlled lab conditions. STC ratings are based on sealed wall assemblies with no gaps, airflow, or external variables, which makes them useful for comparing traditional construction materials. However, most modern work environments are far from sealed. Open-plan offices, shared spaces, and modular setups introduce variables like ventilation openings, door seals, and surrounding noise that significantly impact how sound behaves. This is where STC begins to lose relevance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-black-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-f76d7a4496fdc7000a6d09e95aa23e4f\">In practical terms, what people care about is not how much sound is blocked in a lab, but whether conversations remain private and distractions are reduced. Ventilated, furniture-based systems are designed for real use, which means balancing airflow, comfort, and acoustic control. Because of this, their performance is better understood through <a href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/glossary\/what-is-speech-reduction\/\" type=\"glossary\" id=\"17258\">speech reduction<\/a>, which reflects how much intelligible conversation is actually diminished in a given space. This approach aligns more closely with real-world expectations, focusing on privacy and usability rather than idealized conditions that rarely exist outside of testing environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Terms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/glossary\/speech-privacy\/\" type=\"glossary\" id=\"17103\">Speech Privacy<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/glossary\/speech-reduction\/\" type=\"glossary\" id=\"17258\">Speech Reduction<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/glossary\/noise-flanking\/\" type=\"glossary\" id=\"17098\">Noise Flanking<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\t<section class=\"bureau-featured-resources\">\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"bureau-featured-resources__heading\">\n\t\t\t\tFeatured Resources\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__grid bureau-featured-resources--3col\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"bureau-featured-resources__card\" href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/blog\/office-culture\/noise-vs-focus-how-soundscapes-affect-your-brain-at-work\/\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Copy-of-StoneChalk-XL-10-scaled.jpg\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Noise vs. Focus: How soundscapes affect your brain at work\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"bureau-featured-resources__title\">Noise vs. Focus: How soundscapes affect your brain at work<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bureau-featured-resources__excerpt\">If you\u2019ve ever found yourself struggling to concentrate in a noisy office, you\u2019re not alone. The sounds around us, whether it\u2019s the background noise of conversations, the clatter of keyboards, or the distant brewing of a coffee machine, can have an impact on our productivity and well-being. While some people thrive in these kinds of energetic environments, others need near &#8230; \nRead More<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"bureau-featured-resources__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M4.167 10h11.666M10 4.167 15.833 10 10 15.833\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.667\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"bureau-featured-resources__card\" href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/blog\/new\/top-office-furniture-solutions-that-block-noise\/\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/NYC_Office-One-Meet.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Silence at Work: Top Office Furniture Solutions That Block Noise\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"bureau-featured-resources__title\">Silence at Work: Top Office Furniture Solutions That Block Noise<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bureau-featured-resources__excerpt\">Anyone who has worked in an open office floor plan can tell you that noise is one of the biggest challenges in these spaces. Without the benefit of walls, these offices are filled with the sounds of people at work, including conversations, phone calls, message notifications, music, typing, and so much more. While it may feel like the cost of &#8230; \nRead More<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"bureau-featured-resources__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M4.167 10h11.666M10 4.167 15.833 10 10 15.833\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.667\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"bureau-featured-resources__card\" href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/blog\/productivity\/the-hidden-cost-of-office-noise-how-to-reclaim-your-teams-focus\/\">\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsrc=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/The-Hidden-Cost-of-Office-Noise.png\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\talt=\"Two modern soundproof office booths in an open office environment, featuring one person working on a laptop inside and another person taking a private phone call.\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloading=\"lazy\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bureau-featured-resources__body\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"bureau-featured-resources__title\">The Hidden Cost of Office Noise: How to Reclaim Your Team\u2019s Focus<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"bureau-featured-resources__excerpt\">Picture it: you\u2019re at work trying to lock in on the task in front of you. In fact, you\u2019ve been trying to lock in on it all morning. But every time you get on a roll your train of thought ends up derailed by all that noise.&nbsp; Whether it\u2019s the sound of colleagues in conversation, the ringing phones and pinging &#8230; \nRead More<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"bureau-featured-resources__arrow\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg width=\"20\" height=\"20\" viewBox=\"0 0 20 20\" fill=\"none\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<path d=\"M4.167 10h11.666M10 4.167 15.833 10 10 15.833\" stroke=\"currentColor\" stroke-width=\"1.667\" stroke-linecap=\"round\" stroke-linejoin=\"round\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/section>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Sound Transmission Class (STC) measures how well a sealed wall reduces airborne sound under controlled lab conditions. While useful for traditional construction, it does not reflect real-world performance in open or ventilated environments, where factors like gaps and airflow impact sound isolation. Why STC Falls Short in Real-World Acoustic Environments STC is often treated as a universal measure of acoustic &#8230; <\/p>\n<div><a href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/ca\/glossary\/sound-transmission-class\/\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","glossary_category":[],"class_list":["post-17099","glossary","type-glossary","status-publish","hentry","no-post-thumbnail"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is Sound Transmission Class (STC) - Bureau<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Understand what STC measures, how it\u2019s tested, and why it doesn\u2019t reflect real-world acoustic performance in open or ventilated environments.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/withbureau.com\/ca\/glossary\/sound-transmission-class\/\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"What is Sound Transmission Class (STC) - 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