Microphone and Speaker Response Curves

Author: N.H. Crowhurst

Determining the response of a loudspeaker

The response of a loudspeaker can also be found by using a calibrated microphone to measure the sound field that it radiates at different frequencies. For all these purposes, it is obvious that the calibrated, or secondary standard microphone should be as near perfect in response as possible, so that little correction will be necessary from its chart. High-quality condenser microphones and a special form of crystal microphone without any lever system, are favored for this purpose.

All this kind of work is very informative in finding out how good equipment is, but we are left with the question of how good it should be. To know this, we want to know something about people's hearing faculties. After all, the main purpose of audio equipment is to produce a satisfactory listening illusion.