This International Standard specifes methods for measuring the sound pressure levels on a measurement surface enveloping a noise source (machinery or equipment) in an anechoic room or a hemi-anechoic room. The sound power level (or, in the case of impulsive or transient noise emission, the sound energy level) produced by the noise source, in frequency bands of width one-third octave or with frequency weighting A applied, is calculated using those measurements, including corrections to allow for any differences between the meteorological conditions at the time and place of the test and those corresponding to a reference characteristic acoustic impedance.
In general, the frequency range of interest includes the one-third-octave bands with mid-band frequencies from 100 Hz to 10 000 Hz. In practice, the range is extended or restricted to frequencies beyond or within these limits, to those between which the test room is qualifed for the purposes of the measurements.