This International Standard specifies the acoustical performance requirements for reference sound sources:
— temporal steadiness (stability) of the sound power output;
— spectral characteristics;
— directivity.
Temporal steadiness is defined in terms of the standard deviation of repeatability (see 5.2). The spectral characteristics can be verified in either a hemi-anechoic room or a reverberation test room from measurements of the frequency band sound power levels in accordance with this International Standard (see 5.4). The performance requirements on directivity index can only be verified in a hemi-anechoic room (see 5.5.)
This International Standard also specifies procedures for providing level calibration data and uncertainty on a sound source intended for use as a reference sound source in terms of its sound power level under reference meteorological conditions as defined in Clause 4 in octave and in one-third-octave bands, and with frequency weighting A. This International Standard is titled as a calibration standard even though the method is conducted in a testing laboratory and the level calibration results are not directly traceable to national standards of measure in a strict metrological sense. Testing laboratories performing this method are not expected to meet all requirements normally associated with a calibration laboratory.
NOTE ISO/IEC 17025[15] specifies different requirements for the competence of testing laboratories and calibration laboratories respectively. Laboratories testing reference sound sources in accordance with this International Standard would typically comply with the requirements for testing laboratories but not necessarily with those for calibration laboratories.