This American National Standard specifies methods for measuring the sound pressure levels on a measurement surface enveloping a noise source in anechoic and hemi-anechoic rooms, in order to determine the sound power level or sound energy level produced by the noise source. It gives requirements for the test environment and instrumentation, as well as techniques for obtaining the surface sound pressure level from which the sound power level or sound energy level is calculated, leading to results which have a grade 1 accuracy.

The methods specified in this American National Standard are suitable for measurements of all types of noise.

The noise source can be a device, machine, component or sub-assembly. The maximum size of the source under test depends on the radius of the hypothetical sphere (or hemisphere) used as the enveloping measurement surface.