There are countless places we visit each day that rely on clear communication, including banks, pharmacies and government offices. The challenge for those in charge of security for these buildings is to protect your staff while ensuring they can hear customers clearly enough to help them effectively. Far too often, situations escalate simply due to unclear communication, so it’s vital that employees and customers can both feel confident they are being heard clearly.
This is why choosing an effective speak-thru for your transaction windows is so important.
What Is a Window Speak Thru?
A window speak-thru (also known as a talk-thru or voice port) is designed specifically for customers and employees to communicate clearly through high-quality security barriers such as bullet-resistant glass. They allow for sound to pass through even the thickest bullet-resistant barriers while keeping employees safe from potential threats. As glass doesn’t naturally allow for sound to travel through it, these talk-thru systems use various methods to enable clear communication.
It’s important to note these are different from window speakers —also known as intercom systems —which are electronic and typically designed for outdoor applications such as ticket offices.
A speak-thru system is considered a passive voice port, while a window speaker intercom is an active (powered) voice port.
Choosing the Right Speak-Thru System: Key Factors
While speak-thru systems generally all function the same way, there are some considerations to weigh when choosing the best one for your building and situation.
Location and Type of Window
The first factor is the type of transaction window the speak-thru system will be applied to.
First, is it an interior or exterior window?
Baffle systems and in-frame sound transmission systems tend to be ideal for indoor windows. Baffles use pieces of offset bullet-resistant glass for natural sound transfer, eliminating the need for a talk-thru system. The gap between them is too small for anyone to reach through and offset so a bullet cannot be aimed at anyone on the safe side.
Other options ideal for indoors include arched transaction windows, which work similar to baffle systems, and hole and backer systems.
For higher traffic locations such as gas stations, convenience stores, or professional offices located in areas where the daytime threat is low but goes up during night hours, sliding glass transaction windows are typically more common.
In other situations, fixed systems using either baffles, ports, or speakers for communication are more common.
For exterior transaction windows, electronic speaker systems are almost always the rule.
Window Size, Width and Speak-thru Placement
Every building will have different requirements for the size and type of windows needed, and these will need to be taken into account when choosing the best speak-thru solution. Sound can travel differently depending on the size and shape of both the windows and the room, so taller or wider windows will need options that account for sound direction and volume.
A baffle system typically won’t work well with a window that’s too wide, as the baffle opening may be multiple feet away from both people.
For example, on a six foot wide window, the baffle openings will be approximately three feet away from both people. This means the sound has to travel three feet from the person speaking to the side of the window, through the baffle opening, and then three feet back to the listener. In that six foot distance, sound quality is greatly impacted.
In this situation, a center-mounted arch or hole and backer voice port is a better choice.
Staff and Customer Positioning
You’ll also need to consider the counter or other area where employees and customers will interact. If your team members will be seated as they engage with customers, you’ll need to make sure the speak-thru is at the proper height for both people to hear clearly. This is especially important in situations where customers might need to share sensitive information.
Sound Quality
In addition to the height and layout of the windows and interaction areas, the amount and flow of traffic through the building can affect both the employee’s and customer’s ability to hear clearly.
In quieter environments, the natural volume of voice transmission may be enough to avoid miscommunication. In busier settings, particularly during peak hours, an amplified system may be better.
Security Level and Aesthetic Goals
For bulletproof windows, the most common industry standard is UL 752, which defines 10 levels of protection against different types of bullets and firearms. We typically recommend Levels 1-4 for most buildings in public settings, depending on the industry and security concerns, while the highest levels are reserved for military and high-level government buildings.
When determining which talk-thru system you need, you’ll want to match the system to the UL 752 standard for your windows. Hole and backer ports can only match up to Level 5, while other systems we offer can be matched up to Level 8 if needed.
Total Security Solutions (TSS) offers a variety of hole & backer and talk-thru systems to match the UL standard of your windows. We can also help design a talk-thru system to match the aesthetics of your building.
The Best Options for Sound Transmission
In some cases, such as banks or medical buildings, sound quality may be a higher priority than for others. In those situations, it’s helpful to consider three different options:
Best/Highest Quality Voice Transmission
Baffle and sliding systems provide the highest sound quality in bulletproof windows.
These options allow plenty of room for sound to travel effectively while maintaining safety.
These systems are ideal for buildings with high interaction volumes such as ticket windows, bank tellers or medical offices.
Better Quality Voice Transmission
If you're limited by window size or other constraints, hole and backer and arched-type backer options are a great choice.
Both the arched or square and hole and backer systems have an opening in the window with a glazing-matched backer pane behind the opening in the center of the window. The openings are smaller than horizontal baffle systems and don’t transmit sound quite as well.
Good Quality Voice Transmission
We offer several options for talk-thru systems that still offer good protection and sound quality when the above solutions are not viable. Natural Voice Rail (NVR) and Aluminum Voice Around (AVA) systems use special openings within the frame of the bulletproof window to allow for sound to travel through the frame, around the glass and back to the listener.
These systems are similar to the vertical baffle system, but do not transmit sound as well..
We also offer a specialized voice port, the MK Metallic Voice Port. This unique stainless-steel system allows for voicenoise to travel through while also securing the systems from projectiles. The MK series offers protection all the way to Level 8 and is a good choice in high security situations.
Customization and Professional Guidance
Every building and work environment is different, and each organization has different needs for customer interactions. Implementing a bulletproof system with the best speak-thru for your environment involves more than just choosing devices from a catalog.
TSS has decades of experience developing, building, and installing systems like these across more than 30,000 buildings nationwide. Our dedicated team of in-house engineers and ballistics experts can help design and build the ideal system to fit your needs and your budget.
By engaging with our expert consultants early in the process, we can help match the perfect sound solution for your glass type, wall buildout, or any other specialized requirements you may have, including retrofitting installations in historic buildings.
Explore our full selection of sound solutions or contact our team to start your custom solution today.
