A courtroom is filled with attorneys, witnesses, and a jury—everyone is ready to proceed with a high-stakes trial. But as the judge speaks, their voice is lost in an overwhelming echo bouncing off marble walls. The courtroom’s aging audio system, installed decades ago, struggles to keep up, causing distortion and feedback. Attorneys ask for statements to be repeated, jurors strain to hear testimony, and remote participants on a hybrid call can barely understand the proceedings. Suddenly, the audio system fails completely, forcing the judge to delay the trial and relocate to another courtroom, causing unnecessary disruption and frustration for all involved.
These challenges are not rare; they occur in courts across the country due to outdated audio infrastructure, poor microphone placement, and a lack of maintenance. Inaccurate or unclear audio can disrupt proceedings, delay justice, and even impact case outcomes. Yet, courtroom audio issues remain one of the biggest challenges courts face today.
From trial delays due to poor audio performance to miscommunication caused by bad microphone placement, these issues are more than just inconveniences—they can disrupt justice. As courts transition into hybrid and remote proceedings, these challenges only grow more complex.
This article explores the key courtroom audio challenges and presents strategies for modernizing court audio infrastructure to ensure seamless, intelligible, and accessible audio for all participants.
The Persistent Challenge of Courtroom Audio
Courtrooms were not originally designed with modern audio and video technology in mind. The architectural elements that make them impressive—high ceilings, marble surfaces, and open chambers—also create acoustic challenges that negatively impact speech clarity.
Common Courtroom Audio Issues
Echo & Reverberation
Hard surfaces reflect sound, making speech difficult to understand and creating a distracting echo effect.
Inconsistent Volume Levels
A judge’s voice may carry well, while a soft-spoken witness at the stand struggles to be heard.
Poor Microphone Placement
Ceiling-mounted microphones near HVAC vents pick up airflow noise instead of speech, while flush-mounted table microphones capture paper shuffling rather than testimony.
Feedback & Echo Issues
Improperly tuned audio systems cause high-pitched feedback, disrupting proceedings.
Hybrid Courtroom Challenges
Poor audio design results in remote participants struggling to hear key testimony, reducing the effectiveness of virtual trials.
Lack of ADA & Interpretation Support
Courts must comply with ADA requirements, yet many courtroom audio systems lack dedicated assisted-listening or interpretation options, leaving participants at a disadvantage.
Aging Audio Infrastructure
Many courthouses still rely on 20+-year-old analog systems, leading to dropouts, static, and costly maintenance issues.
Recording Accuracy & Clarity
Accurate and clear audio sent to the court reporter or court recording system is critical. Old systems can struggle with distortion, signal loss, and poor clarity, making it difficult to produce a reliable transcript. Since the recording is the official record of proceedings, maintaining high-quality audio is vitally important to ensuring justice is served.
How Courts Can Address These Audio Challenges
The solution to courtroom audio issues isn’t as simple as upgrading speakers or adding more microphones. Courts need purpose-built solutions that take the unique challenges of courtroom acoustics into account.
Key Considerations for a Successful Courtroom Audio Upgrade
Microphone Placement & Directionality
Microphones should be placed directly at each participant’s station, rather than relying on ceiling-mounted or table-integrated mics that capture unwanted noise.
Speaker Placement for Natural Sound
Instead of overhead speakers projecting sound downward, localized speaker/microphone units at each station ensure even, natural audio distribution.
PoE (Power over Ethernet) for Simplified Installation
Modern courtrooms need scalable solutions that don’t require extensive rewiring. PoE-powered solutions reduce infrastructure strain and allow easy expansion.
Digital Signal Processing (DSP) & Tuning
Courts should eliminate echo, feedback, and volume imbalances by ensuring proper DSP calibration and room tuning to optimize speech intelligibility.
ADA & Interpretation Accessibility
Courtroom audio systems must support assisted listening and interpretation, ensuring all participants can hear proceedings clearly.
Hybrid Integration with Video Conferencing
Courtroom audio must work natively with platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx, ensuring remote participants receive high-quality audio without lag, distortion, or loss of clarity.
The BEINCOURT Approach: Designing Audio Solutions That Work for Courts
To directly address these widespread challenges, BEINCOURT developed SoundSphere—a purpose-built courtroom audio solution designed to provide clarity, accessibility, and seamless hybrid integration.
Key features include:
At BEINCOURT, courtroom technology is all we do. As subject matter experts in courtroom audio and video solutions, we’ve worked with courts of all sizes to design and implement purpose-built AV systems that solve these real-world challenges.
Recognizing the widespread issues with courtroom audio, we developed BEINCOURT SoundSphere—a scalable, modern courtroom audio system that:
- Eliminates ceiling speaker issues by placing microphones and speakers directly at each participant’s station.
- Provides visual mute indicators, so speakers always know whether their mic is active.
- Includes ADA-compliant assisted listening and interpretation capabilities, ensuring accessibility for all.
- Uses PoE (Power over Ethernet) for simple, cost-effective deployment—ideal for courts with limited conduit space.
- Integrates seamlessly with hybrid courtroom platforms, providing clear, reliable audio for in-person and remote participants.
- Can scale to any courtroom size, from small municipal courts to large federal courthouses.
- Is available in all BEINCOURT solutions, from the affordable and flexible EASYCOURT system to our most feature-rich, high-end complete solutions.
For more details on BEINCOURT SoundSphere, visit our SoundSphere page to download the brochure and learn how this solution can transform courtroom audio.
Thousands of BEINCOURT SoundSphere units have already been deployed. The largest circuit court in the U.S. has selected BEINCOURT SoundSphere as their audio solution of choice, and we’re modernizing hundreds of courtrooms with this technology.
Is Your Courtroom’s Audio System Ready for the Future?
BEINCOURT is dedicated to providing all courts with reliable and affordable courtroom technology solutions. That is our mission, and we remain committed to ensuring every courtroom—regardless of size or budget—has access to the best audio and video technology available.
Courtrooms can no longer afford outdated or inadequate audio systems. If your courtroom is facing audio challenges, now is the time to modernize. Contact BEINCOURT today for an expert consultation and discover how purpose-built solutions can transform your courtroom experience. If your courtroom is facing audio challenges, BEINCOURT is here to help. Contact us for an assessment and learn how purpose-built solutions can transform your courtroom’s audio experience.
