Abstract: The present technology is generally directed to centralized appliance hubs with enhanced acoustic performance and related methods. In at least some embodiments, an appliance hub includes a frame, one or more panels attached to the first side of the frame, and an insulating layer attached to the second side of the frame opposite the first side. The insulating layer can be tuned or otherwise configured to absorb and/or attenuate sound within a first frequency range, and all or a subset of the one or more panels can be configured to absorb and/or attenuate sound within a second frequency range different than the frequency range. In some embodiments, at least one of the panels may be made of a perforated metal having perforations arranged in a manner to attenuate sound within the predetermined frequency range.

Abstract: A method and system for masking to a listener a conversation between a care provider and a patient such that the conversation becomes unintelligible to the listener, includes interposing an acoustically absorbent curtain that substantially spans between the floor and the ceiling and is positioned between the listener and the care provider and patient. A masking device is affixed to the curtain generally between the floor and the ceiling at a position along the barrier length and at a height approximately coinciding with a height of a mouth of the care provider. The masking device includes at least one speaker having an axis oriented generally perpendicular to the plane the curtain defines. An amplifier drives the speaker to produce a sound to propagate along the axis. A signal source provided at the amplifier input produces the sound selected to mask the conversation between the care provider and the patient.