The sector ensures the metrological traceability of acoustic measurements by maintaining and disseminating the national sound pressure standard. In addition, calibrations of acoustic measurement instrumentation, such as microphones, calibrators, sound level meters and analysers, and metrological activities concerning the organisation and technical-scientific evaluation of interlaboratory measurement comparisons (ILC) are carried out in support of the calibration laboratories that are accredited or going to be accredited.

The sector has a small anechoic chamber for characterising free-field microphones and a reverberation chamber for measuring the sound power of machines and devices. Qualification of anechoic and semi-anechoic environments for free-field measurements is also carried out.        

As part of the sector's research activities, innovative measurement methods and systems are developed to characterise and calibrate new-generation microphones (MEMS) and improve measurement uncertainties associated with conventional calibration techniques.