---
title: "Understand near-field isolation without a hard cutoff"
description: "Near-field isolation describes prioritizing speech close to the microphone over surrounding sound."
slug: "near-field-isolation"
category: "hardware"
language: en
editorial_status: published
capability_status: validation
reviewed_at: 2026-10-13
keywords: ["near field voice isolation","close microphone capture","20 cm pickup"]
---

# Understand near-field isolation without a hard cutoff

Near-field isolation describes prioritizing speech close to the microphone over surrounding sound. CueSpec does not yet have a verified 20 cm boundary beyond which all speech is rejected.

## Distance is one variable
Sound from different people can arrive with different levels, directions and timing. A closer wearer may provide a stronger signal, but a nearby loud voice can still interfere. An acoustic setup should be assessed under realistic conditions rather than described as a perfect distance gate.

Use a fixed test phrase and compare normal wearing position with an intentionally changed position. Keep speaking style constant. For background sound, use a permitted, non-sensitive source rather than other people’s private conversation.

## What a useful result contains
Report microphone configuration, room, source positions, speech style and transcript errors. Include difficult cases, not only the cleanest clip. A clean demonstration can show that one setup worked; it does not establish a universal isolation radius.

Near-field capture concerns what enters the input stream. It is separate from canceling sound heard through speakers and from preventing other people from hearing the wearer. Those outcomes require different measurements and should have different documentation.

## Related reading

- [Evaluate a glasses sample without overclaiming](/hardware-evaluation-plan/)
- [Understand the permissions used by CueSpec](/permissions-explained/)
- [Draft while other people are talking](/office-background-conversations/)
- [SPECS 01 hardware specification reference](/specs-01-specification/)