Listen, Inc.: Celebrating 30 Years of Audio Measurement Expertise
This article celebrates 30 years of Listen, Inc., detailing the company’s journey from its inception in 1995 with the creation of SoundCheck, a software-based audio analyzer. Initially focused on replacing human listeners for end-of-line production testing, the company expanded its reach to research and development (R&D) as its software surpassed expensive hardware solutions. Over three decades, SoundCheck has consistently evolved, adapting to the changing audio landscape with features like multichannel capability and support for modern devices and interfaces.
Listen, Inc.: Celebrating 30 Years of Audio Measurement Expertise
Back in 1995, I worked as an audio consultant, having recently returned from four years working as an applications engineer for Brüel & Kjær in Denmark. Creating a software based analyzer had been at the back of my mind for a while, but it took a conversation with the president of my consulting client, Sonetronics, to incentivize me to build it. We discussed the possibility of using software-based solutions on his production line, and although I failed to convince him to hire me to develop it, he agreed to buy it if I could deliver a solution within six months.
I worked by day and coded by night to meet the deadline, incorporating ideas I had nurtured for a while such as the stepped sine wave test signal and the HarmonicTrak algorithm. I showcased my product, and with a few minor tweaks, they bought it. I quickly saw the potential for this product and focused all my energy on continuing its development. I added the “sequence editor” a drag-and-drop interface to create customized audio tests, and several more measurement algorithms including higher-order harmonic distortion and normalized distortion measurements.
When I registered my company, Listen, Inc., named the product SoundCheck, and started promoting it, I never imagined that 30 years later, virtually every production line would use software for end-of-line test and these early algorithms would become the industry standard.
Chapters covered:
- The First Decade (1995-2005)
- The Second Decade (2005-2015)
- Our Third Decade (2015 – 2025)
- Commitment to Innovation
