The standard, IEC 60268-23, specifies acoustical measurement methods for television sets, monitors with built-in loudspeakers and audio devices with similar acoustical properties such as flat-panel loudspeakers.
It was developed by IEC Technical Committee 100, which is responsible for developing standards for audio, video and multimedia systems and equipment.
According to the international standards agency, the new standard “provides measurement methods for the audio system of TVs and monitors that take the listening environment into account. This ensures that the sound quality of these devices is consistent, regardless of the installation type and position of the loudspeaker.”
IEC said the new standard was developed to address variation in the sound characteristics of TVs and monitors.
The sound quality of the TVs can vary significantly depending on the location and position of the loudspeakers, the agency said. In some cases speakers are located at the bottom of the screen, while others are located in the middle, side or on the rear of the set.
“Due to these variations, it was essential to develop new measurement methods for loudspeakers of TVs and monitors that can take into account the listening environment,” IEC said in a statement.
IEC said that the new standard applies to acoustical measurements that are performed under free-field conditions and in-situ but does not assess “the perception and cognitive evaluation of the reproduced sound, nor the impact of perceived sound quality.”
IEC 60268-23 will compliment existing loudspeaker measurement methods developed by IEC TC 100, which is the main standards development body for most of the world’s audio-video devices.