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About Steve Temme

Steve Temme is founder and President of Listen, Inc., manufacturer of the SoundCheck audio test system. Steve founded the company in 1995, and over the past 30 years the company has remained on the cutting edge of research in audio measurement, introducing many new measurement algorithms and techniques. In recent years, Listen’s product development has focused on creating the algorithms, interfaces, and test methods to measure today’s newest devices including MEMS speakers, microphones, and automotive audio and various wireless and cloud-communicating devices. Prior to founding Listen, Steve worked as an acoustic test and measurement applications engineer at Brüel & Kjær, and as a loudspeaker design engineer at Apogee Acoustics. He holds a BSME from Tufts University, has authored numerous papers on acoustic testing, and has lectured extensively throughout the world.

All items written by Steve Temme

Standardized Automotive Audio Measurements

August 20, 2025 by Steve Temme

Standardized Automotive Audio Measurements

In 2023, the Audio Engineering Society (AES) Technical Committee on Automotive Audio proposed a standardized measurement configuration for in-car audio systems. This article builds on that work, using the same configuration to make a more comprehensive suite of measurements, including seat-to-seat spectral uniformity, THD, advanced impulsive distortion, as well as creating a foundation for a much wider range of in-car measurements.

Practical Test & Measurement: Measuring HDMI Audio

June 11, 2025 by Steve Temme

Practical Test & Measurement: Measuring HDMI Audio

From its origins in 2002 as a new, smaller connector for HDTV, improving upon DVI and adding audio capability and consumer electronics control functions, High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) continuously evolved over the years to become one of the most widely adopted interfaces. Not surprisingly, testing audio over HDMI, given its multiple options and configurations, still induces many questions when it comes to measurements. This article provides practical answers to those questions.

Practical Test & Measurement: Transitioning Audio Tests from R&D to the Production Line

April 26, 2023 by Steve Temme

Practical Test & Measurement: Transitioning Audio Tests from R&D to the Production Line

Production line audio testing poses many challenges such as noisy environments, harsh operating conditions, high throughput, relative limits, and more. In this article, Steve Temme, the founder and President of Listen, writes about the essentials of test and measurement applied to manufacturing environments and quality control. Production tests always benefits from proven practices and experience and that's what is shared in this article, outlining the main considerations to ensure a successful operation. This article was originally published in audioXpress, March 2023.

Speakers: The Evolution of Production Line Rub & Buzz Measurements

July 14, 2022 by Steve Temme

Speakers: The Evolution of Production Line Rub & Buzz Measurements

This important article revisits the evolution of Rub & Buzz measurements in loudspeakers, headphone drivers, and microspeakers production lines, and how these are being addressed using the next-generation of perceptual algorithms. Steve Temme offers a valuable comparison with what can be accessed today using modern methods, and what to apply to access production faults, determine thresholds for production yields, or understand the real impact on consumer's perception. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2022.

How to Measure Free-Field Speaker Response Without an Anechoic Chamber

June 7, 2021 by Steve Temme

How to Measure Free-Field Speaker Response Without an Anechoic Chamber

One of the biggest challenges with working from home during the pandemic was not having access to an anechoic chamber. This short tutorial, explains a simple solution for this: a “splice” measurement. The capability for such measurements has been included in SoundCheck since 2001. Despite its long history, this method has not seen widespread use. However, the current pandemic’s working challenges are sparking renewed interest. This article was originally published in Voice Coil, March 2021.

Practical Test & Measurement: Testing Smart Devices

February 4, 2020 by Steve Temme

Practical Test & Measurement: Testing Smart Devices

Voice applications are currently fostering the largest growth in the audio industry. This article addresses the challenges and solutions for testing the wider class of “smart” – connected, voice-activated, and sensor-equipped – devices, proposing solutions to implement basic acoustic tests and real-world tests of greater complexity. This article was originally published in audioXpress, April 2019.

Headphone Testing (Part 1): The Basics

July 15, 2015 by Steve Temme

Headphone Testing (Part 1): The Basics

In this article, Steve Temme discusses the issues that are common to testing all types of headphones. As more and more loudspeaker engineers find themselves employed in the fast-growing headphone market, it is important that the unique challenges of testing headphone packages are fully understood.