Advancements in impulse response measurements by sine sweeps

Sine sweeps are employed since long time for audio and acoustics measurements, but in recent years (2000 and later) their usage became much larger, thanks to the computational capabilities of modern computers. Recent research results allow now for a further step in sine sweep measurements, particularly when dealing with the problem of measuring impulse responses, distortion and when working with systems which are neither time invariant, nor linear. The paper presents some of these advancements, and provide experimental results aimed to quantify the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, the suppression of pre-ringing, and the techniques employable for performing these measurements cheaply employing a standard PC and a good-quality sound interface, and currently available loudspeakers and microphones.