The Acoustics Group is based in the National College, a laboratory complex containing test chambers designed for research and testing. The laboratories are furnished with a full range of modern instrumentation for measuring sound, vibration and undertaking audiometry.

An anechoic chamber, 7.6 x 6.4 x 4.2m, is used to test loudspeakers for directivity and sound power,, undertake binaural recording, test hearing protectors and demonstrate fundamental acoustic principles.

Two sound proof booths are available for audiometric screening using Amplivox and Kamplex equipment.

A reverberation chamber, 7.6 x 6.4 x 4.2m, is used to test the absorptive properties of materials. Either a Rion dodecahedron loudspeaker or a Bruel and Kjaer portable loudspeaker is used. Measurements are taken using either Norsonic 121 Analyser or using WinMLS.

The laboratory have many standard simple experiments to demonstrate fundamental acoustic method including active noise control, standing waves, weighting networking, speech intelligibility, sound insulation and dosimetry.

Software simulation tools that are available to students and researchers include AutoCAD and Ramsete for room acoustics, Odeon for room acoustics, Soundplan for noise mapping, CATT-Acoustics for room acoustics, Google Sketchup for design work, Matlab for signal processing, and Fluent for CFD simulations.

Portable equipment includes 1/3 octave sound level meters (B&K, CEL, Larson Davis, Norsonic, Cirrus Research), vibration meters (Rion harm/arm, Svantek for buildings), dosimeters (Cirrus Research, Larson Davis), and duel channel analysers for sound insulation air-borne and impact (Norsonic, B&K),