News & Events
Please use the filters in the right sidebar to narrow content by type of news.
New SoundCheck Brochure – Chinese
Our new SoundCheck® brochure is now available in Chinese. This short 12 page brochure is a top-level overview of the SoundCheck audio test system and associated hardware.
or complete the form below to request a hard copy.
New SoundCheck Brochure
Our new SoundCheck® brochure is now available. This short 12 page brochure is a top-level overview of the SoundCheck audio test system and associated hardware.
or complete the form below to request a hard copy.
SoundCheck 14.1 for Mac
SoundCheck for Mac
Listen is excited to announce the release of SoundCheck 14.1 for Mac. Offering similar functionality* to the Windows version of SoundCheck 14, this is the first large-scale commercial audio test software to run natively on a Mac. SoundCheck is a powerful software package which controls and communicates with your audio measurement hardware and contains all the stimuli, algorithms and functionality to develop and run complete audio tests on loudspeakers, headphones, microphones, smartphones, tablets, hearing aids and more.
SoundCheck 14.1 for Mac offers seamless integration with Listen’s expanding line of hardware products including AmpConnect, DC Connect, SoundConnect 2 and AudioConnect, making the initial system setup quick and easy, even for novice users and non-technical personnel. All Listen hardware products, as well as the Portland Tool & Die BTC-4148 Bluetooth interface can now be directly controlled from within the software, enabling them to be changed as part of a sequence.
Users of previous PC-based versions of SoundCheck can upgrade these to the Mac version for an additional fee. Contact sales@listeninc.com for more information.
* Note that there are some minor differences between the Mac version and the Windows version due to variations in the development environment, particularly surrounding data export functionality. Please contact your sales engineer for more information.
More about SoundCheck for Mac (V.14.1) and SoundCheck version 14.0 for Windows (same features )
New Production Line Bluetooth Interface
The new BQC-4148 Bluetooth interface is designed for high volume production line testing of Bluetooth sink devices such as headsets, speakers and car kits. It offers control over the CODEC choice, sample rate, and transmitter power, enabling devices to be specifically tested under the conditions that they need to operate
The unit is rugged and compact, measuring just 30 x 64 x 136mm. With only one connector – a USB for connection to the computer for power and control – it is simple to use and offers minimal potential for incorrect operation. It can be controlled via the USB virtual com port using a command line utility, or from within SoundCheck using the control utility via a system step for simple integration with your test sequences. Although it is less full-featured than its R&D counterpart, the BTC-4148, it is approximately half the cost.
SoundCheck 14 New Features Video
In this short (10 minute) video, Brian Fallon introduces the new features in SoundCheck 14. These include an improved set-up wizard for easier transition from older versions, advanced Listen hardware integration, a redesigned hardware editor and a new autoranging feature.
Listen Celebrates 20 years of Innovation
Listen Inc is proud to announce its 20th year as a leading provider of audio test and measurement systems and expertise. Two decades of innovation and steady growth have made Listen’s flagship product, SoundCheck, an industry-standard audio test system in the consumer electronics industry.
The company is commemorating the occasion with updated branding – a new, more modern, logo and a new website, www.listeninc.com.
Listen began operations in 1995 when a consulting client of Steve Temme, company founder and president, challenged him to build a computer-based system with the same capabilities as the hardware system that they currently owned. This challenge came with a promise that if Steve could produce the system within 6 months he would buy it. Steve met the challenge, the product was named ‘SoundCheck’, and the customer purchased 12 systems. Steve then began to further develop the product to meet the test requirements of a wider audience.
Although the first generation of SoundCheck was designed specifically for testing military headsets, the next version was designed with a very open architecture which allowed virtually any audio device to be tested. It is this open architecture which has, in part, led to Listen’s success as the system has inherently been able to adapt to the changing test requirements of the audio industry over the past 2 decades. For example, in the 1990’s, SoundCheck was primarily used for testing loudspeaker and microphones, but today its most common applications are testing headphones, microspeakers, smartphones, tablets and Bluetooth devices.
Although Listen has its roots firmly in software, today Listen also offers turnkey systems with a complete line of audio test hardware. Designed from the ground up, Listen’s hardware products are engineered to specifically meet the needs of the audio test industry, thus making them reliable, simple to use and cost effective, as well as tightly integrated with Listen’s software.
Listen is still owned and managed by Steve Temme, and is headquartered in an 8000 square foot facility in the South End of Boston, within a mile of where the company started 20 years ago. Listen also has sales and application engineers on the West Coast, and a worldwide sales and support network. Listen is still growing steadily, and has several open positions in both engineering and sales.
“We at Listen, Inc. are thankful to our many customers for making this anniversary possible,” said Steve Temme, president of Listen, Inc. “Their feedback has driven product development and helped us evolve as a company. We look forward to continuing to innovate with our products and test methods, and to serving our valued customers for many years to come.”
You can learn more about Listen’s ’20 years of Innovation’ by viewing our timeline.
New Bluetooth Interface
The New BTC-4148 enables Bluetooth devices to be accurately tested in SoundCheck® by offering full control over the Bluetooth connection.
Accurately measuring Bluetooth devices is challenging. The Bluetooth protocol is a dynamic and adaptive system that provides devices with many options and parameters that are normally negotiated and set in an invisible manner. Using typical PC Bluetooth interface devices as an audio bridge in test applications is not ideal as the compression codec, sample rate etc. cannot be controlled and the engineer is left guessing as to what values are actually used.
The BTC4148 overcomes this by offering full control over all Bluetooth protocol settings and explicit control over all the CODEC, sample rate transmitter power etc. This enables devices to be specifically tested under the conditions that they need to operate.
Rep Profile: Comtree Inc., Canada
Comtree Inc. has distributed Listen’s products Canada for just over a year. The company is headquartered in the Toronto Area with a field sales office in Montreal. “We are excited to offer Listen products in the Canadian market. Canada has a healthy acoustic industry and a long history of developing talented audio engineers. Over the past year, it has been our pleasure in working with these individuals,” said Graham Gibson of Comtree. In addition to Listen’s products, Comtree also distributes electronic test and manufacturing equipment such as soldering stations, solders, ESD protection, hand tools, and inspection microscopes. Graham Gibson, Ernesto Provenzano, and Benoit Giroux are the key sales engineers in the team.