IEC 60268-7:2010

Overview

IEC 60268-7:2010 - Sound system equipment: Part 7 - Headphones and earphones is the 3rd edition international standard that defines the characteristics manufacturers should include in headphone/earphone specifications and the relevant measurement methods. It applies to headphones, headsets, earphones and earsets used on or in the human ear, and to integral equipment (pre‑amplifiers, passive networks, power supplies). This edition updates the 1996 version and adds measurement using HATS (Head and Torso Simulator) and detailed pinna simulators for high reproducibility.

Key topics and technical requirements

The standard specifies what to measure and report, and how to measure:

• Classification and coding of earphone types (based on acoustic coupling to the ear) and marking guidance.
• Electrical characteristics: rated impedance, impedance vs. frequency, rated source impedance, input voltage/power and protective devices.
• Acoustic characteristics: sound pressure level (SPL), frequency response, ear canal sound pressure levels, loudness comparison conditions (free‑field and diffuse‑field).
• Non‑linearity and distortion: harmonic, modulation and difference‑frequency distortion measurements.
• Isolation and leakage: sound attenuation and unwanted sound radiation.
• Multi‑channel performance: crosstalk attenuation for multi‑channel headphones.
• Physical and mechanical: application force, cables, connectors and marking of terminals/polarity.
• Measurement rigs and reproducibility: couplers, ear simulators, HATS, and pinna simulator specifications (Annex A) plus microphone requirements for ear canal measurements (Annex B). Informative annexes (C–E) give practical measurement details.

The standard explicitly excludes safety requirements (refer to IEC 60065), microphones (see IEC 60268-4), hearing-aid devices (IEC 60118-0), audiometric headphones and active ear defenders.

Applications - who uses IEC 60268-7:2010

• Headphone and earphone manufacturers for product specification, datasheets and design verification.
• Acoustic and R&D engineers for reproducible lab measurements (using HATS/pinna simulators).
• Test laboratories and QA teams for compliance testing, performance benchmarking and quality control.
• Procurement and specification writers who need standardized performance criteria.
• Standards bodies and certification labs for harmonized reporting and traceable measurement methods.

Related standards

• IEC 60268 series (general sound system equipment guidance)
• IEC 60268-1, -2, -4 (general terms, microphone/headset standards)
• IEC 60065 (safety of audio/video equipment)
• IEC 60118-0 (hearing‑aid devices)
• IEC 60068-1 (environmental testing)

Keywords: IEC 60268-7:2010, headphones standard, earphones measurement, HATS, pinna simulator, frequency response, sound pressure level, headphone classification, headphone testing.