Why Choose PLACID for Your Acoustic Measurement Needs

The acoustic measurement instrument market has many options. When you are deciding where to source measurement microphones, preamplifiers, or data acquisition systems, the decision should be based on what actually matters for measurement quality: calibration traceability, demonstrated long-term stability, technical support quality, and the clarity of the documentation you will put in front of clients and regulators.

PLACID Instruments designs and manufactures measurement microphones in Europe under ISO 9001 quality management. Every measurement microphone is individually tested before dispatch. ISO/IEC 17025 accredited calibration with stated expanded measurement uncertainty is available for every product in the range. These are not differentiating features — they are the baseline requirements for instruments used in professional measurement programmes.

What Makes the Difference

• Calibration traceability — accredited calibration through RvA-accredited laboratory, traceable to VSL and BIPM. Suitable for citation in regulatory submissions and accredited test reports.
• Long-term stability data — published quarterly sensitivity monitoring for all reference microphone models, giving you the evidence base for calibration interval justification
• Direct technical support — no call centres or tiered support queues. Our engineers answer technical questions directly because they designed and calibrate the instruments.
• Complete system documentation — when you purchase a complete system, we supply a unified calibration documentation package covering every component. Not separate certificates for each part.
• Honest specification claims — performance claims are supported by measured data, not specification headroom. We publish uncertainty data and stability records, not just nominal specifications.

We are not the right choice for every application. For the most demanding primary laboratory standards work, national metrology institute instruments may be appropriate. For applications requiring military specifications or ATEX certification, we have specific products. Contact us honestly about your application — we will tell you whether PLACID is the right fit, and if not, we will point you in the right direction.

Our Accreditation Scope

PLACID ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation is held through RvA (Raad voor Accreditatie), the Dutch national accreditation body and a founding member of the ILAC mutual recognition arrangement. Calibrations performed under this accreditation scope are accepted by accredited testing laboratories, regulatory bodies, and notified bodies throughout the EU and in more than 90 ILAC MRA signatory countries. The accreditation certificate number and scope document are available from PLACID on request and are published on the RvA public register.

The accreditation scope covers microphone calibration by the comparison method per IEC 61094-6, at frequencies from 31.5 Hz to 16 kHz, at free-field 0° incidence. For applications outside this scope — such as calibration at very high or very low frequencies — we can recommend NMI-level calibration services and issue factory calibrations traceable to those NMI references.