The New Year has reigned itself in, optimism is up and it’s time to decide what improvements are going to be made to the home office setup.
Bluetooth mechanical keyboard? Check. Overpriced ergonomic desk chair? Check. Yucca plant for the ambiance? Definitely check. But, what’s next?
Of all the things considered, something has been missed, likely because its purpose has been replaced by more nifty, useful alternatives like a pair of Airpods. What’s missing from your home office, you may ask?
The answer, quite simply, is a fine pair of quality speakers for your workstation.
Why Do You Need Speakers For Your Home Office?
While a pair of speakers does not an at-home workstation make, we must consider that it’s the setup behind your WFH environment that constitutes a productive zone for your work.
Bearing this in mind that the average WFH office worker doesn’t stop to consider a quality pair of speakers for their desk, never mind a quality workstation. A recent poll by WFH equipment provider Plugable.com has highlighted that 3 out of 5 WFH employees work from somewhere in their home that’s not a suitable ‘home office’ environment.
While that’s not to fault anyone, it certainly shines a light on the fact that the average person has not taken the time to set up their home for a productive work environment.
If you’ve been working from home for a while, you know how important it is to speak to colleagues and your team to get things done. The rise of tools like Zoom has made these communications easier than ever before, but how much are your current earphones or Airpods contributing to your workflow?
As advised by the American Osteopathic Society, one should not listen to headphones at more than 60% of their total volume for no longer than 60 minutes. If you’re at home working for longer than 8 hours a day, can you positively say that you adhere to this guidance?
With that in mind, let’s consider all the reasons why quality speakers are a great contribution to your home office environment.
1. Helps Hearing Health And Prevents Long-Term Damage
75% of people listen to music once a week when working from home, with 40% doing this every day – a recent poll by Nielsen claims. However, if you’re doing this through headphones, what are the chances that you’re listening responsibly?
With a quality pair of speakers, you’re not going to have music blaring down your ear canals for multiple hours per day. Rather, you can put your music on and create ambiance in peace, with a full spectrum of sounds and acoustics filling up your workstation.
2. Frees Up Other Devices For Multiple Purposes
Hypothetically, let’s imagine, you’re working and a call comes through from your boss on your phone – but, you’re listening to music on your computer. You have to scramble to switch over the Bluetooth connection from your computer to your phone, only for the call to drop and for you to have to waste more time by calling them back.
If you had a dedicated pair of speakers, you could simply pause the music and pick up the call with the comfort of your earphones – without making a fuss. While this might sound like a minor change and a point to gloss over, do this over 10 times a day and you’ll be wishing you could simply pause your music to take a call.
3. Improves Mood, Productivity And Workflow
Everyone who’s ever had a noisy and distracting coworker will know that your work environment dictates the quality of your work a lot – almost more than anything else. For this reason, wouldn’t you want to have the best possible work environment that you could?
A quality WFH setup doesn’t require a whole lot, but, it does need the essentials to make it functional. Most can agree, that a quality cuppa and a good tune provide the perfect backdrop for a productive morning to power through some Powerpoint Presentations.
Of course, you could always alternatively jam some earphones into your ears – but, don’t you get tired of always being somewhat mute to the outside world?
Types Of Speakers For Your Home Office
Now that we know why you’ll want to buy a pair of speakers for your home office, let’s consider the types of speakers that you’ll want to look at.
1. Freestanding
Freestanding speakers are speakers that stand on their own, usually of larger size.
While they’re a little more advanced for the average user, investing in a pair of $200+ speakers will certainly tide you over if you’re looking for a decent pair of speakers but don’t want to break the bank.
Go for a pair of Yamahas or similar, and you’ll get to enjoy all of the musical pleasure, with a high resale value should you wish to upgrade your setup.
2. Bluetooth
Bluetooth speakers are incredibly versatile and can be perfect for the WFH employee that doesn’t use speakers all the time, but still values a bit of music from time to time.
Most modern Bluetooth speakers have steady bass, making them a great turn-key solution for those looking for a speaker that can handle most songs, music, and sounds.
Furthermore, they often have quick-switch capabilities, giving the option of being able to change between multiple devices, making them easy to use and convenient if you need to move your workstation so that your little ones can do some coloring at the dining room table.
3. Soundbar
Soundbars are a bit more advanced but provide an aesthetic alternative to freestanding speakers if you have a wide desk, or, a remote TV in your home office setup.
Admittedly, soundbars might be a bit excessive for the average worker looking to get a bit of sound. But, they can also be a great addition if you’re looking for a unique setup and can be great for entertainment and gaming setups, if you’re lucky enough that your work-from-home setup doubles as an entertainment system after hours.
4. Subwoofer
Finally, the subwoofer is a must-have for any person that’s serious about their at-home setup.
While a decent pair of speakers can provide great audio for peaceful and productive working, a sub will take things to the next level by adding some well-needed bass.
A subwoofer is needed if you have a pair of freestanding speakers or a soundbar, but not really if you pick yourself up a Bluetooth speaker. This is because most Bluetooth speakers provide decent bass as they’re built to be more versatile and multi-purpose.
Final Thoughts: Choosing Your Pair Of Speakers
While not everyone has the luxury of having a dedicated room for their at-home workspace, if you do, you’ll seriously want to consider picking up a decent pair of speakers to make your time more enjoyable.
Speakers have multiple benefits that extend beyond just providing a musical backdrop, they can improve your long-term hearing health if you’re a big audio head that listens to music for long periods over the day. Or, if you’re into your side hustles and started a YouTube channel during the pandemic, you can use your new speakers to edit your videos to near cinema-like quality.
At the same time, they have the added benefits of making your work setup seem more personal, professional, and equipped for whatever the world of work may throw at you.
