Audiometer

An audiometer is a machine used for testing hearing. The invention of this machine is generally credited to Dr. Harvey Fletcher of Brigham Young University. Audiometers are standard equipment at ENT clinics and in audiology centers. They usually consist of an embedded hardware unit connected to a pair of headphones and a feedback button, sometimes controlled by a standard PC. The test and calibration procedures are defined by ISO standards.

An alternative to relatively high cost hardware audiometers are software audiometers. These use a standard computer and can be run by anybody in their home to test their hearing, although their accuracy is not as high due to lack of a standard for calibration.