ASA/ANSI S12.5-2016/ISO 6926:2016 (R2024)

Acoustics - Requirements for the performance and calibration of reference sound sources used for the determination of sound power levels

This Standard specifies the acoustical performance requirements and the important physical and performance characteristics of reference sound sources and specifies procedures for their calibration. Reference sound sources are used extensively in “comparison methods” for determining the noise emissions of physically stationary sound sources. A reference sound source of known sound power output is used to establish the numerical relationship between the sound power level of a source, in a given location, in a given acoustic environment and  the space- and time-averaged sound pressure level at a set of microphone positions. Once that relationship is established, it is straightforward to measure the average sound pressure level produced by an “unknown source” and to determine the sound power level produced by that source.