From Dr M.N.

Nagaraja / July 2009

SPECIFICATIONS FOR AUDIOMETERS
Standards provide specifications about the features to be found in each type of
audiometer. Equipment should be maintained according to manufacturer's
specifications and recommendations. Instruments are properly calibrated at
recommended intervals and calibration records are maintained. The specific
parameters must be checked.
These are outlined in standards provided by ANSI, IEC. ASA & ANSI both list & sell
IEC & ISO standards. In general, the ANSI, ISO, & IEC standards are in close
agreement.
Standards for Audiometers include ANSI S3.6 1996. The specification were
developed in 1969, revised in 1989 & again revised in 1996. There were further
revisions in 2004. The ANSI S3.6-1996 Specification for Audiometers represents our
most current and best resource for information regarding audiometers. It also contains
reference threshold levels for all commonly used transducers in one standard.
The ICE (1980) classifies the audiometers as under:
Type 1 Advanced Diagnostic Audiometer
Type 2 - Diagnostic Audiometer
Type 3 Simple Diagnostic audiometer
Type 4 Screening Audiometer
Type 5 Simplest Audiometer
The minimum requirements for the audiometers decrease from type 1 to type 5.
Type 1 includes many features. In comparison, the Type 5 has no required minimum
or maximum features.
Minimum required
features

Pure Tone

Speech

HF

Two earphones

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Insert earphones

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Loudspeakers or electrical
output

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Bone vibrator

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Transducers

Hearing Levels, Test

Frequencies
Test Signal Switching
Presentation / interruption

Pulsed tone

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

No

Frequency modulation
(FM)
Reference Tone
Alternate presentation
Simultaneous
presentation
Speech Input
Replay device
Or electrical
Input for recorded
material
Microphone
Masking
Narrow band noise
White noise
Speech Spectrum noise
Routing of Masking
Contralaterial earphone
Ipsilateral earphone
Loudspeaker
Routing of Masking
Contralateral earphone
Ipsilateral earphone
Loudspeaker
Bone Vibrator
Subject Response
System
Signal indicator
Audible Monitoring
Operator to subject
speech communication
Talk Back system

Yes

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes
Yes

Yes
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
Yes

No
Yes

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
No

No
Yes

No
Yes

No
Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Yes
Yes
No

Yes
Yes
No

Yes
No
No

No
No
No

No
No
No

Yes
No
No

No
No
Yes

No
No
Yes

No
No
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes

Yes
No
No

No
No
No

N
No
No

Yes
No
No

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes

Yes
No
No

Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes
No
Yes

Yes
No
No
No
Ys

No
No
No
No
Yes

N
No
No
No
No

Yes
No
No
N
Yes

Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Yes

Yes
No
Yes
No
No

Yes
No
No
No
No

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
No

No
No
No

No
No
No

No
No
No

Yes
No
No

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
Yes
No

Yes
No
No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

No

Type 1
Freq
(Hz)
125
250
500
750
1000
1500
2000
3000
4000
6000
8000

AC

BC

AC

Type 2
BC

AC

Type 3
BC

Type 4
AC

70
90
120
120
120
120
120
120
120
110
100

45
60
60
70
70
70
70
60
50
-

60
80
110
110
110
110
110
110
100
90

45
60
70
70
70
70
60
-

70
100
100
100
100
100
90
80

35
50
60
60
60
50
-

70
70
70
70
70
70
-

Table 2: Minimum required freq. and HLs for Pure Tone Audiometers
(ANSI S 3.6, 1996)
TYPE 4 - AUDIOMETER

Technical specifications:
Hearing Level Range: -10 to 90 dB HL in 5 dB steps
Tone Stimulus: Pure tone
Frequency Range: 125 to 8,000 Hz
Accuracy:
a) Frequencies: better than 3%
b) Hearing Level: within 3 dB of indicated level from 125 to 5000Hz & 5
dB at 6000 Hz and higher.
Total Harmonic Distortion: < 2%
Standards: EN 60645-1 for Audiometers, Type 4
Calibration: IEC 645, ANSI S3.6 for Type 4 audiometers.

TYPE 3- SIMPLE DIAGNOSTIC AUDIOMETER

Single Channel: one oscillator.

(Variation includes Channel and a half: tone to one ear & masking noise to the
opposite ear.
The spilt half single channel: ABLB).
Outputs: Phones, bone, insert, free-field
loudspeaker via ext. amplifier
Tone Stimuli: Pure, pulsed or warble tones
Frequency Range: Air, FF: 125 to 8,000 Hz
Bone: 250 to 6,000 Hz
Masking Signals: Contralateral; Speech Noise or Narrow Band Noise
Hearing Level Range: (maximum output limited by transducer capability)
Air: -10 to 120-125 dB HL at 500 - 6000 Hz
Bone: -10 to 70 - 80 dB HL at 500 - 4000 Hz
Speech Input: Microphone or CD/Tape 1-2
Special Tests: S.I.S.I., Stenger, Auto Threshold, Auto Screening.
Power Supply: AC 50-60 Hz, 100 -120 V or 200 - 240 V, 10%
Patient Safety: Complies with EN 60601-1, Class I, Type B
Standard Accessories:
Patient Response Signal, ME70 Noise-Excluding Headset w. TDH39/TDH49
or TDH50 Earphones, in telephonic type cushions
Insert phones
Bone Vibrator (B71)
Calibration: ANSI S3.6 & IEC 645:1 & 2 for Type 3 audiometers.

TYPE 2- DIAGNOSTIC AUDIOMETER

PURE TONE CHANNELS 1 & 2
Frequency Range:
Air: 125 Hz to 12,000 Hz

 High Frequency: 8,000Hz to 20,000Hz

Bone: 250 Hz to 8,000 Hz
Sound Field: 250 Hz to 12,000 Hz
Intensity range
Air Conduction: -10dB HL to 120dB HL
High Frequency: -20dB HL to 100dB HL (Sennheiser DA 200 phones)
Bone Conduction: Mastoid -10 to 80dB HL
Forehead -20 to 70dB HL
Sound Field: -10dB HL to 90dB HL
Inserts: -10 to 110dB HL
Masking intensity range
EL Calibration
NBN: Maximum 0- 100dB HL
WN: Maximum 0 - 90dB HL
Tone stimuli
Continuous Tone
Pulse Tone
warble tones
Speech & sound field
Channel 1 & Channel 2
Microphone for live voice
External A & External B for recorded speech material from external stereo
tape cassette or CD player
Intensity range AC -10 to 105dB HL
BC -10 to 65dB HL
Sound Field -10 to 90dB HL
Inserts -10 to 95dB HL
Masking Intensity Range: Speech Noise
0 to +100dB HL in 10 dB HL steps
Special test capabilities
ABLB , SISI, MLD
High Frequency: Frequency range of 8000 Hz to 20,000 Hz
Communications & monitoring
Talk Forward
Talk Back
Monitor
Accessories
Head phones TDH 39 (49/50)
Bone Vibrator B71
Test Microphones
Talk Back Microphones
Power Cords
Instruction Manual
Sound Field System
Paired Insert Phones (Ear tone 3A)
High Frequency Head Phones
Frequencies and Maximum Hearing Levels:
Hz

AC dBHL

BC dBHL

NB dBHL

125
250
500
1000
2000
3000
4000
6000
8000

90
110
120
120/130
120
120
120
120
120

45
65
70
75
80
80
55
50

80
100
100
110
110
110
110
110
100

TYPE 1 - AUDIOMETER WITH EXTENDED HIGH FREQUENCY

Standards:
EN 60645-1, EN 60645-2, EN 60645-4/ANSI S. 3.6.
Calibration: ISO389-1, ISO389-2, ISO 389-3, ISO 389-4.
Channels: Two independent channels.
Channel 1: Input: Tone, Microphone 1&2, Tape/CD 1&2, NB, SN, WN, PN.
Output:
Channel 2: Input: Tone, Microphone 1+2, Tape/CD, 1&2, NB, SN, WN, PN.
Output for both channels:
Left, Right, Free Field 1+2, Insert phones, HF-phones, Insert masking.
Test Types:
Tone , Speech,
Auto thresholds, Bekesy test,
Difference Limen Intensity, Difference Limen Frequency,
Loudness Balancing, Difference masked unmasked, Weber, ABLB. TT Decay,
Masking Level Difference, MLB, SISI
Stenger, Lombard, Doerfler-Stewart
Sound Field
Accessories
TDH39 (49/50) Headset
B71 Bone Conductor
High Frequency Headset
Audiocup Enclosures
EAR-Tone 5A Insert Phones for audiometry
Insert Earphone for masking and monitoring

Specifications of basic model audiometer are listed below:

Frequency range:
Air conduction (AC) : 250Hz, 500 Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, 4KHz, 6KHz and 8KHz
Bone conduction (BC) : 250Hz, 500 Hz, 1KHz, 2KHz, 4KHz,
Intensity range:
Air conduction (AC) : 0dB to 110dB
Bone conduction (BC) : 0dB to 70dB
Noise type
Levels

: Narrow band noise & white noise

: 0 dB to 100dB

Input for Speech

Levels

: live voice / recorded voice

: 0 dB to 100dB

V.U meter &

: Transducers: i) 2 supra aural head-phone for sound field
testing
other controls
with rubber ear cushion and head band one
each for
separate ears considered equivalent to TDH 39.
ii) Bone conduction Vibrator Type Radio ear B71 or
equivalent
Routing of signal

: either to Right ear or left

Selector for signal routing:

Signal selection
Attenuation

A. Head Phones Right/Left/or Bone Vibrator.

B.Tone or speech

: Continuous tone or Pulsed tone or warble tone

: In 5 dB steps; after 100 dB a change in intensity will be
Separately controlled by push button increase of 5 dB
till the maximum (pushing button will result in only
single step increase).