IT room sound, speakers or headphones?

[Jobos]

When fitting out a new IT room what do you guys do about sound. As I see it there are two options.

 

1. use headphones

2. have monitors with built-in speakers or speakers attached to the monitor

 

Both options have pros and cons…what do you use?

[elsiegee40]

We have monitors with builtin speakers AND headphones... The headphones mute the monitor sound when plugged into the monitor.

 

Separate speakers take up desk space, leave you with even more trailing wires and are something else for the little dears to vandalise.

 

Use NirCmd - Freeware command-line tool in a logon script to reset the sound levels from the previous user

Edited May 18, 2009 by elsiegee40

[achedgy]

I always try to get Dell LCD's with a soundbar on the bottom. It has a nice big volume control and a built in twin headpohone port (saves on splitters) Best of both worlds!

[teejay]

Headphones. The ones RM sell are pretty sturdy, other than that buy a shed load of cheap bud headphones and sell/give them to the kids as they can't be used by multiple pupils.

[Jobos]

I always try to get Dell LCD's with a soundbar on the bottom. It has a nice big volume control and a built in twin headpohone port (saves on splitters) Best of both worlds!

 

I know the ones you mean but the Dell soundbar uses an extra power socket and we only have two per station.

[laserblazer]

I've set NirCMD to mute the speakers on logon, so they have to physically turn them on if they need sound.

[sjatkn]

1. use headphones

2. have monitors with built-in speakers or speakers attached to the monitor

 

I bought a supply of cheap headphones (--|AV17715.|EARPHONES, WHITE | CPC) and sell them to the students for £1 each.

[Bluetooth]

Both.

 

I make sure PC's come with a front mounted audio board. Plug the monitor in the back of the PC as usual but when a child needs some headphones they pick up a set from one of the hooks in the ICT Store and plug it in the front, mutes the output from the speakers on the monitor.

 

As mentioned desk speakers are just a waste now, theres no need as all lcds pretty much come with them in built.

[mrforgetful]

We sell earphones.

[Sylv3r]

Don't really do any as a rule.

 

All classroom teaching PC's have an amp and fixed speakers.

 

The students if they need sound plug in headphones in the suites.

[powdarrmonkey]

Both, but we make sure the headphones are the big conal ones, not in-ear, and have a very short curly lead on so they can be stuffed into a cupboard without tangling more than absolutely necessary.

[achedgy]

I know the ones you mean but the Dell soundbar uses an extra power socket and we only have two per station.

 

Ours don't, they take power from the monitor

[EduTech]

We dont have monitors with built in speakers, every IT Room has a set of headphones in which they will give out to students when they are required.

 

Our Head Of ICT does have the permanent next to the monitors, which is ok but they do get messy!

 

James.

[FN-GM]

We use headphones. The kids cant help them selves and they play music or make the computer make sounds and random points in the lesson or when the teacher is talking to the class.

[mossj]

Ours don't, they take power from the monitor

 

Even if they did, could you not use a dual kettle for pc/monitor.

[Sandman]

Headphones are a better all round solution, but introduce the problem that some can go missing.

 

As elsiegee40 said the best option is monitors with speakers and a headphone minijack.

[mrforgetful]

Hence why we sell them.

 

I can't think of anytime sound is needed on every PC in a classroom.

 

The Staff machines on Whiteboards are connected to wall mounted speakers.