Why are speakers measured at 1 meter?

[Cal Weldon]

Other than computer speakers who listens that close? Shouldn't there also be a measurement at say 3 meters?

[Kevin Haskins]

It is just a standard so that you can compare apples to apples.

You don't necessarily do so for a design measurement. You measure at whatever distance is necessary to get good data. I stay in the far-field unless I want to confirm a bass measurement and the definition of where that is depends upon the size of the device you are measuring.

[TerryO]

When Kevin gets serious, he'll even hoist a speaker up on a forklift outside to get accurate measurements. This is usually done in the middle of the night to avoid detection by the Black Helicopters and to alarm neighbors.


Best Regards,
TerryO

[454Casull]

Arbitrary, probably. Also makes it easier to measure in-room, vs a longer distance.

[planet10]

Speakers should be measured in the farfield and then the magnitude scaled to 1 m for comparison (paraphrase Toole)

dave

[GM]

Originally Posted by TerryO

When Kevin gets serious, he'll even hoist a speaker up on a forklift outside to get accurate measurements.

That's a pretty serious forklift to get it high enough for (sub)woofers. Altec had an impressive elevated platform for LF cab measurements that hoisted them 26 ft up IIRC. The A4 bass horn under test is 84" x 80.5" x 39.5": http://www.lansingheritage.org/image...1949/page2.jpg

GM

[musician9]

The one meter measurement is only used for the sound pressure level measurement (1 watt/ 1 meter, 2.83v into 8 ohms) as a standard.

[rocknrolldoctor]

I know at Recording Studios the speakers in most studios sit in the end of the mixing board about 3' away..

Thats how its done when the music is mixed

[benb]

Originally Posted by 454Casull

Arbitrary, probably. Also makes it easier to measure in-room, vs a longer distance.

I'd think "in-room" measurements might be better if they were even closer that one meter, depending on the size of the room.

But yeah, it was always my understanding, it's an arbitrarily standard distance at which to measure SPL (for speaker or driver sensitivity) generated with 1 watt electrical power input, and not necessarily used for any other purpose.

Originally Posted by rocknrolldoctor

I know at Recording Studios the speakers in most studios sit in the end of the mixing board about 3' away..

Thats how its done when the music is mixed

I think that's just the NS-10's, used as a check-mix to make sure it sounds good on cheap home and car stereos. The real studio speakers are often mounted in the wall.

[mymindinside]

To improve the mental math of those of us who think in feet and inches