Impedance tube

Impedance tube
ASTM E1050
ASTM E2611
ISO 10534-2
29, 44.4, 100 mm
Custom diameters on demand

Ideal for measuring normal-incidence sound absorption and transmission loss of small material samples, using 2, 3, or 4 microphone methods.

Mecanum’s conventional impedance and transmission tube measures the key acoustic indicators of a wide range of materials using 2, 3, or 4 microphone methods. Available in 29 mm, 44.4 mm, and 100 mm diameters, with custom sizes on request, it follows ASTM E1050, ASTM E2611, and ISO 10534-2. Its small-sample format makes it well suited to rapid prototyping, quality control, and teaching.

Performance

Frequency range

29 mm impedance tube: 50 Hz to 6600 Hz
44.4 mm impedance tube: 45 Hz to 4300 Hz
100 mm impedance tube: 35 Hz to 1800 Hz

Hard wall measurement (zero absorption)

All ⅓ octave until 4 kHz < 4 %
⅓ octave 5 kHz and above < 10 %

Dimensions & sample thickness

Dimensions

29 or 44.4 mm impedance tube: 800 (L) x 200 (W) x 200 (H) mm
100 mm impedance tube: 1200 (L) x 200 (W) x 200 (H) mm

Max sample thickness

2 microphones absorption: 250 mm
3 microphones transmission: 220 mm
4 microphones transmission: 125 mm

Measured properties

4 mics4
3 mics3
2 mics2
Absorption coefficient at normal incidence (α)Absorption (α)
Complex reflection coefficient at normal incidence (R)Reflection (R)
Normalized surface impedance (Zs/Zair)Surface impedance (Zs/Zair)
Normal incidence transmission loss (NSTL)Transmission loss (NSTL)
Normalized characteristic impedance (Z/Zair)Charact. impedance (Z/Zair)
Wave number (k)Wave number (k)
Equivalent dynamic bulk density (ρeq)Bulk density (ρeq)
Equivalent dynamic bulk modulus (Keq)Bulk modulus (Keq)
Transfer matrix coefficients (Tij)Transfer matrix (Tij)
ASTM E1050ASTM E1050
ISO 10534-2ISO 10534-2
ASTM E2611ASTM E2611

Tube-X

Tube-X guides you through normal-incidence absorption and transmission loss measurement in a single, intuitive window, clear enough to be productive from the first use. It supports all 2, 3, and 4 microphone methods alongside advanced research features, and lets you save raw data to run your own post-processing. Built-in tools take measurements further, averaging, smoothing, merging curves across frequency ranges, adding an air cavity, comparing projects, and a one-click, ISO/ASTM-ready Excel report turns results into professional documentation.

Coming soon.

Automotive industry

Characterize trim, foams, and sealing materials at normal incidence to feed cabin-noise models early in development.

Aerospace industry

Evaluate engine and silencer liners under grazing incidence, and qualify lightweight absorbers against tight weight budgets.

Material manufacturers

Validate absorption and transmission loss on small samples to support datasheets and incoming quality control.

Building

Screen porous absorbers and multilayer materials before scaling up to full partition or room testing.

Laboratories

Run fast, standards-compliant absorption and transmission loss measurements on small samples for rapid prototyping.

Universities

Teach absorption, reflection, and transmission hands-on, with a compact setup that introduces measurement and signal processing.

Optional accessories, available with your impedance tube or separately.

Circular knife

The circular knife lets you cut clean, repeatable sample geometries from porous materials, so each specimen fits the tube precisely and edge effects stay minimal. Consistent sample preparation is one of the simplest ways to improve measurement repeatability.

Material slicer

The material slicer holds a porous sample firmly in place while you cut it to thickness, giving you flat, parallel faces and a controlled height. It removes much of the guesswork from preparing soft or compressible materials that are otherwise hard to slice evenly.

Grazing incidence sample holder

With the grazing incidence sample holder, the impedance tube evaluates liner performance under grazing conditions that mirror real operating environments. Using the four-microphone transfer matrix method, it derives impedance and transmission loss for aircraft engine liners, muffler coatings, and pipe treatments.

Weather station

The weather station measures the ambient temperature, pressure, and humidity at the moment of testing, the atmospheric conditions that influence the speed of sound and, in turn, your acoustic results. Logging them alongside each measurement keeps your data accurate and traceable.

Square add-on

The square add-on adapts a circular tube to measure square specimens such as metamaterials, whose periodic geometry does not fit a round cross-section. It extends the tube to non-conventional samples without requiring a dedicated square instrument.

Fabric sample holder

The fabric sample holder ensures a sealed, repeatable installation of fabrics, resistive films, and other thin materials that would otherwise leak air around their edges. A proper seal is essential for these materials, since even small leaks distort the measured absorption and impedance.

Muffler adapters

The muffler adapters connect mufflers and similar components directly to the tube, so you can measure their acoustic indicators as complete assemblies rather than as material samples. They open up transmission loss and impedance testing on real exhaust and silencer parts.

Impedance tube
ASTM E1050
ASTM E2611
ISO 10534-2
29, 44.4, 100 mm
Custom diameters on demand

Ideal for measuring normal-incidence sound absorption and transmission loss of small material samples, using 2, 3, or 4 microphone methods.

Impedance tube
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