Social Interior Inc. / Tokyo

Yamaha’s Speech Privacy System and ADECIA remote conferencing technology have been introduced by Tokyo’s Social Interior Inc. to its experiential showroom THE MUSEUM.

With a mission statement of ‘Transforming the world of interior design. Transforming the world through interior design’, Social Interior Inc. Is a Japanese company which provides support for creating office spaces and other services. At its new headquarters THE MUSEUM, which also serves as a showroom, the company has recently introduced two proprietary Yamaha technologies - the Speech Privacy System, which prevents information leakage during conversations using unique information masking sounds, and the ADECIA one-stop audio solution for remote meetings.

We spoke with Mr. Shinri Suzuki of the Project Promotion Group, Consulting Division at Social Interior Inc., about the benefits of the Yamaha systems and the feedback received from both within and outside the company.

“Our company’s mission is to change the world of interior design and also change the world through interior design. We aim to create new movements through interior design. Specifically, we provide support for creating office spaces and operate a select online store for furniture and home appliances, a platform which streamlines the ordering and delivery of furniture and fixtures.”

“THE MUSEUM opened in September 2024 and is a collaborative showroom and office. It’s a space where visitors can see and experience office solutions, provided by approximately 50 manufacturers. These include furniture, interior design, lighting, AV equipment and miscellaneous goods, all combined in reallife settings.

“Traditional office interior showrooms are scattered across different locations, so clients have to visit multiple places to compare products, which means it is difficult for them to make comparisons and decisions. To address this, we created an experiential showroom with various manufacturers under one roof, offering a space where visitors can see the solutions in action as part of a real office environment.

“As well as being in daily use, Yamaha’s Speech Privacy System and ADECIA serve as experiential displays and proposals for customers. By participating in THE MUSEUM’s office tour, visitors can experience the benefits of them firsthand.”

“The Speech Privacy System is in use throughout THE MUSEUM, but it is particularly effective in the office area. Here, many employees conduct phone calls and online meetings, with people both inside and outside the company. There had been complaints that there were not enough meeting rooms or private booths but, when we thought about it, the root cause was actually sound leakage. By resolving the sound issue with the Speech Privacy System, we believed that there would be no need to partition spaces and employees could work comfortably in an open office environment.”

“I was aware of Yamaha’s unique information masking sound mechanism but, when I actually used it, the effect exceeded my expectations. Previously I found it difficult to concentrate, due to the noise of people talking around me, but now most employees are able to work comfortably at their desks.

“What’s interesting is that when the Speech Privacy System is turned off, it becomes so quiet that it feels a bit odd. Normally I don’t even notice the effect of the system but, when it’s not switched on, the sounds around me suddenly become very noticeable, which is a bit startling. This really highlights how much the office’s sound environment has improved, and how much stress from both surrounding conversations and our own conversations has been reduced.”

“There are quite a lot, yes. For example, in open spaces with high ceilings and partition walls, it’s inevitable that sound from neighboring meeting rooms will leak in. When customers with such issues experience the Yamaha Speech Privacy System, they are often surprised to find that the sound leakage is really not noticeable. From a different perspective, using the Speech Privacy System in a meeting room seems to help reduce tension and make conversation easier. In completely silent meeting rooms the atmosphere can feel ‘heavy’ but, with the Speech Privacy System, it seems to naturally encourage more people to speak up.”

“Nowadays, remote conferencing systems are indispensable for newly-established offices. We have adopted ADECIA, which combines the RM-CGW ceiling-mounted array microphone and the VXL1B-16P speaker system. Customers have visited our showroom to experience it first-hand, and we also use it on a daily basis for our operations.”

“First, unlike typical remote conferencing systems, there is no need to line up multiple microphones with cables on the desk. This means the desk remains very tidy and there is no setup time required. What surprised me personally was when I participated in a meeting where this system had been introduced at the remote location. With just one ceiling microphone, I could clearly hear the voices of everyone in the conference room, regardless of where they were sitting. I was truly impressed and would like our customers to experience this for themselves.”

“Yes, Yamaha proposed installing two VXL1W-24 slim line array speakers at the showroom entrance and four VXS10SW subwoofers to reinforce the mid-low frequencies in the four corners. We chose speakers that are straightforward, yet highly design-conscious, which blend seamlessly with the interior of the space while subtly enhancing the audio presence. Visitors are often surprised to discover that the speakers are even there, as they blend seamlessly into the space. The sound quality is excellent, as expected from Yamaha, and the speakers perform exceptionally well as event sound equipment during events.”

“Social Interior is a company which produces office spaces tailored to the needs of our clients. At THE MUSEUM we introduce a variety of interior and office design ideas that transcend brand boundaries. We invite you to book an office tour on our website and experience the effects of these ideas for yourself.”