Taking Measurements

Preparation

Before measuring, take time to prepare your room and equipment. A few minutes of preparation can significantly improve your measurement quality.

Environment Checklist

Equipment Setup

• Connect your measurement microphone and verify it appears in Sounn Settings > Devices
• Verify your speakers are connected and playing through Sounn
• Import your microphone calibration file if you have one
• Set speaker volume to a moderate level (aim for ~75 dB at listening position)

Microphone Setup

Position

Place the microphone at your primary listening position:

• Height: At ear level when seated (typically 36-42 inches from floor)
• Left-right: Centered between your speakers
• Forward-back: Where your head normally is when listening

Orientation

Most measurement microphones are omnidirectional and should be pointed straight up toward the ceiling. This ensures equal sensitivity to direct sound and reflections from all directions.

Stability

Use a microphone stand—never hold the microphone by hand during measurement. Any movement creates noise that corrupts the measurement.

Taking the Measurement

Step-by-Step Process

1. Open the Measurement Wizard: Click "New Measurement" from the Dashboard or use Cmd+N
2. Enter room dimensions: Measure length, width, and height in meters. Sounn uses this to predict room modes.
3. Verify devices: Confirm the correct microphone and speaker output are selected
4. Check levels: Use the "Test Signal" button to verify you can hear the output and the mic shows input
5. Start measurement: Click "Start Measurement" and remain still and quiet
6. Wait for completion: The MLS sweep takes about 30 seconds. A progress indicator shows the current status.
7. Review results: Check the measurement quality indicator and frequency response graph

Quality Indicators

After measurement, check these quality indicators:

• SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio): Should be 40 dB or higher. Below 30 dB indicates excessive background noise.
• Coherence: Should be close to 1.0 across most frequencies. Low coherence indicates noise or nonlinear distortion.
• Level: The measurement should use most of the available dynamic range without clipping.

Multiple Position Averaging

For the best results, especially if multiple people listen or you move around while listening, take measurements at multiple positions and average them.

Why Average?

• Room response varies significantly with position (especially bass)
• Averaging creates correction that works reasonably well across a wider area
• Reduces over-correction of narrow dips that only exist at one spot

Recommended Positions

For a typical listening position, measure at these points:

1. Primary listening position (center)
2. 6 inches left of center
3. 6 inches right of center
4. 6 inches forward of center
5. 6 inches back from center

How to Average in Sounn

1. Take each measurement and save it
2. Go to Measurements panel
3. Select all measurements to include (Cmd+click)
4. Right-click and choose "Create Average"
5. Use the averaged measurement for filter generation

Measurement Troubleshooting

Low SNR Warning

• Increase speaker volume
• Reduce background noise (HVAC, traffic)
• Check microphone gain in Settings
• Move microphone away from noise sources

Clipping Warning

• Reduce speaker volume
• Reduce microphone gain in Settings
• Check that speaker isn't distorting

No Signal Detected

• Verify microphone is selected in Settings > Devices
• Check macOS microphone permissions
• Test microphone in another application
• Try a different USB port

Erratic Frequency Response

• Movement during measurement—retake with microphone stable
• Intermittent noise (door closing, etc.)—retake in quieter conditions
• Very low frequencies may show variation—this is normal