In our audio labs, we test the electronic performance of such products as stereo receivers, CD players, and portable music products. There is a shielded room, in which we can measure sensitive radio tuners without interference from local stations. There is also a quiet lab, where we test telephones, answering machines, computer modems, and more.

In our listening room (below right), we listen to and measure sound-producing products like loudspeakers, computers, and TV sets. This room is tailored according to international standards to have the acoustic quality of a home living room. We've set up a large-screen projection TV and a surround-sound system in order to provide a reference home-theater environment for our tests.

Our anechoic (echo-free) chamber is built on a separate foundation from the rest of the building, so no vibration gets transferred to it (below, left). Wedges of dense fiberglass absorb any sound that hits them, converting it to heat energy. A loudspeaker is placed on a platform, then our computerized system takes over--lifting the speaker to the middle of the chamber, rotating it, and swinging the measuring microphone up and down as it captures the sound spectrum.