Default standard for speaker "sensitivity" measurement listings? Anechoic? In-room? Other?

I would say only 1% of speaker makers have access to an anechoic chamber. And extremely few of those have access to a chamber large enough to work below 100Hz. Even the few that do have chambers use them mostly for research and product development testing.

Most numbers from experienced manufacturers are calculated in half space, speaker on its back pointed up at the sky, no boundaries close by. That’s not easy to do either, as some just use a parking lot or roof top. Avoiding boundaries nearby is critical to avoid any gain being added by reflections of sound off boundaries.

This is the reason many manufacturers don’t bother, its not a level paying field as many products have deceptive measurements. Some more consumer oriented just put a spec down that sells speakers.

Brad

Jim Salk told me his measurements were anechoic because in room measurements are meaningless. I do not know how he does those measurements. Not sure how he would access such a facility. If he calculated in "half space" as lonemountain indicated, I would expect he would have used that phrase. Puzzling.

When I look at the measurements on the Salk site, none of them show anything below 200 hz. He may well be using a measurement method something like lonemountain describes. That is to take nothing away from his speakers, because I have found them to sound very good every time I have heard them.

Jim Salk told me his measurements were anechoic because in room measurements are meaningless.

Except that is where we all end up listening to their products.

That's why in room measurements are meaningless to a manufacturer unless every room was like the one they were measured in. 

Except that is where we all end up listening to their products.