The acoustic performance difference is nuanced. Traditional conference rooms typically achieve 30–45 dB of isolation depending on construction quality, but many are designed for STC (Sound Transmission Class) rather than ISO 23351-1 DS,A — different measurement methods that cannot be directly compared. For hybrid meeting quality specifically, what matters is the bidirectionality of isolation: the room must contain in-room speech (so remote participants hear clean audio without ambient noise bleed-through) AND attenuate open-floor ambient (so in-room participants are not distracted by or self-conscious about surrounding office noise). HIGHKA’s DS,A = 29.4 dB, measured under ISO 23351-1, directly quantifies both dimensions. The additional advantage of pods over traditional rooms: pods are available on demand (no booking system friction for spontaneous use), correctly sized for the meetings that actually happen (not oversized for rare large gatherings), and repositionable.