Orfield Laboratories

What Orfield Laboratories does

Orfield Laboratories, Inc. is a privately-held, founder-owned multi-sensory design research and consulting laboratory founded in 1971 by Steven Orfield and headquartered in a 15,000 sq. ft. facility in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The company operates the only independent laboratory working across all human sensory disciplines — acoustics, lighting, daylighting, thermal comfort, audio-visual systems, vision, and indoor air quality — combining objective measurement (using NVLAP-accredited ASTM/ISO/ANSI standardized testing) with subjective perceptual and cognitive response methodologies. Its physical infrastructure includes the Guinness World Record-recognized Anechoic Chamber (99.99% sound absorption, -24.9dB recorded), a three-room Reverberation Chamber Suite, a Yamaha-collaborated hemispherical 16-loudspeaker Acoustic Simulation Lab, a Visual Performance Lab with a patented photometry process, and a Lighting Simulation Lab.

The company's revenue is generated through five professional-services streams: NVLAP-accredited acoustic testing for federal and regulated buyers; lighting/daylighting and thermal-comfort testing; multi-disciplinary architectural consulting across offices, healthcare, government, education, hospitality, religious, and senior-housing building types; product development consulting focused on sound quality, visual quality, human factors, usability, vibrational quality, and tactile quality across appliances, vehicles, medical devices, aircraft, and consumer electronics; annual training seminars for Fortune 1000 engineering and marketing staff; and direct-to-consumer visitor experiences (anechoic chamber sessions, multi-sensory lab tours at $200/person, corporate retreats, cognitive consultations for invisible disabilities). Customers include 3M Healthcare, Medtronic, GE Health Care, Philips Health Care, St. Jude Medical, Fraser Clinic, Western Home Communities, and multiple government and religious institutions.

Go-to-market is sales-led B2B consulting with direct-to-consumer tourism layered on top, reliant almost entirely on earned media (NY Times, NBC, Paramount Pictures) rather than paid marketing. The company also maintains the historic Sound 80 Studios as a heritage asset (Guinness-recognized 'World's First Digital Recording Studio'), and operates with 1-10 employees, no institutional capital, and a single physical location.

Name

Orfield Laboratories

Legal name

Orfield Laboratories, Inc.

Website

https://orfieldlabs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Orfield Laboratories is a Minneapolis-based, founder-owned multi-sensory design research and consulting laboratory founded in 1971, serving Fortune 1000 product developers, architectural firms, and government clients with NVLAP-accredited acoustic, lighting, and perceptual testing anchored by the Guinness-record 'Quietest Place on Earth' anechoic chamber.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Minneapolis

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Acoustic Testing Services: Full perceptually-based testing in acoustics as a Federal, NVLAP NIST-Accredited Acoustic Lab (Lab Code 200248). Testing includes sound power, sound transmission, vibration transmission, and sound absorption per ASTM, ISO, ANSI, and SAE standards.
2. Multi-Sensory Testing Services: Testing in lighting, daylighting, thermal comfort, indoor air quality, audio-visual systems, and vision. Uses perceptual and cognitive comfort standards to measure comfort, performance, and preference.
3. Product Development Consulting: Consulting services in product development across appliances, vehicles, audio-visual, medical, aircraft, tools, lawn products, and consumer electronics. Focuses on human comfort, performance and preference through sound quality, visual quality, human factors quality, usability quality, vibrational quality, and tactile quality.
4. Architectural Consulting: Multi-disciplinary building performance consulting in acoustics, lighting, daylighting, thermal comfort, audio-visual design, and preverbal subjective research on perceptual comfort and preference for various building types.
5. Visitor Experiences and Tours: Revenue from anechoic chamber sessions (private solo and group), multi-sensory lab tours (standard tour $200/person, architectural immersion tour), corporate retreats and events, and multi-sensory cognitive consultations.
6. Training Seminars: Annual training seminars in sound quality analysis conducted for engineering and marketing staffs of Fortune 500 companies. Founded the Sound Quality Working Group in 1991 and convened over 20 international SQWG conferences.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Orfield Laboratories is an independent multi-sensory design research and consulting laboratory that delivers standardized acoustic testing, lighting/daylighting testing, thermal comfort and indoor air quality testing, architectural performance consulting, and product development research for corporate, government, and architectural clients. It also operates visitor experiences, anechoic chamber sessions, and corporate retreat rentals at its Minneapolis facility.

Product overview

Orfield Laboratories is the world's only independent, multi-sensory design research and consulting laboratory, offering a comprehensive portfolio of testing and consulting services since 1971. The company's core offering is its NVLAP-Accredited Acoustic Laboratory featuring the Guinness-recognized Anechoic Chamber ('The Quietest Place on Earth'). The service portfolio spans: (1) Testing Services including Acoustic Testing, Lighting/Daylighting Testing, and Thermal Comfort/Indoor Air Quality Testing; (2) Specialized Labs including the Anechoic Chamber, Reverberation Chamber Suite, Acoustic Simulation Lab, Visual Performance Lab, and Lighting Simulation Lab; (3) Visitor Experiences including Multi-Sensory Lab Tours, Anechoic Chamber Sessions, and Corporate Retreats; and (4) Consulting Services for Product Development and Architectural Design. The company also maintains the historic Sound 80 Studios as a heritage brand, the world's first digital recording studio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Acoustic Testing Services

Quantifiable outcome

• Designed dementia cottages that won top Innovation Award from International Dementia Conference (University of Stirling, Scotland) selected from worldwide submissions
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Sound Quality Working Group (SQWG) SponsorsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1991Founding sponsors for the Sound Quality Working Group founded in 1991: Bruel & Kjaer, Sennheiser, Cortex, Yamaha, TEAC, SMS, Ansys, and LabView. The group convened 20+ international conferences at Orfield Labs.
• Sound 80 StudiosminorOthers · 1 January 1990Orfield acquired Sound 80 Studios building in 1990. Sound 80 was a recording studio client of Orfield Labs since 1975 for acoustic and lighting consulting. Sound 80 Studios is historically maintained and featured in facility tours.
• 3McoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1975Collaboration in 1975 when 3M invented multi-track digital recording. This partnership led to Sound 80 Studios becoming 'The World's First Digital Recording Studio' (Guinness 2004) and the first multi-track digital recording studio. The collaboration also produced the first piece of digital classical music to win a Grammy (SPCO 'Appalachian Spring' by Aaron Copland).
• YamahacoreTechnology or IntegrationDeveloped the Acoustic Simulation Lab in collaboration with Yamaha Pro Audio for their New York musical instrument demonstration spaces to simulate instrument sounds in different performance venues. The hemispherical array of 16 monitor loudspeakers was originally designed for Yamaha and later replicated at Orfield for architectural acoustic design simulation.
• National Research Council of CanadaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on video photometry measurement system for visual performance research. Orfield was the first consulting user of this measurement system.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Acentech: Acentech is an independent acoustics, AV, IT, and vibration consulting firm serving architectural and building-performance clients. Directly comparable to Orfield's multi-disciplinary building performance and acoustic testing consulting practice.
• Cerami & Associates: Cerami is an acoustics, AV, and technology consulting firm serving architects, developers, and building owners. Directly comparable to Orfield's architectural consulting practice in acoustics, AV, and vibration design.
• Riverbank Acoustical Laboratories: Riverbank is one of the oldest acoustic testing laboratories in the U.S., providing NVLAP-accredited acoustic testing. Directly comparable to Orfield's NVLAP-accredited acoustic lab and standardized ASTM/ISO acoustic testing services.
• Sound Answers: Sound Answers is a product sound quality consulting firm specializing in automotive and consumer product NVH, sound quality, and brand sound development. Closely comparable to Orfield's product sound quality research and consulting services for vehicle and appliance clients.
• Threshold Acoustics: Threshold Acoustics is an independent acoustics consulting firm focused on architectural acoustics, mechanical noise, and environmental sound. Closely comparable to Orfield's architectural acoustics and consulting practice for new construction and renovation.
• Walters-Storyk Design Group (WSDG): WSDG is an internationally recognized acoustics, AV, and media technology design firm with deep expertise in recording studio design. Directly comparable to Orfield across architectural acoustics consulting and the historic Sound 80 recording-studio heritage.
• HEAD acoustics: HEAD acoustics is a global provider of product sound quality and voice quality testing solutions, including hardware, software, and consulting. Comparable to Orfield's product sound quality testing and consulting services, with a more product/instrument-led model.

Broad incumbents

• ME Engineers: ME Engineers is a global MEP, acoustic, and technology systems consulting firm serving building owners and architects. Overlaps with Orfield's building performance consulting but offers a broader MEP and engineering portfolio.
• Arup: Arup is a global engineering and design consultancy with a substantial acoustics, AV, and building performance practice. Overlaps with Orfield's architectural consulting but operates at vastly larger scale across many engineering disciplines.
• Buro Happold: Buro Happold is a global engineering consultancy with acoustics and building performance consulting capabilities. A broader incumbent compared to Orfield's specialized boutique model, serving many of the same Fortune 1000 and institutional clients.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OrfieldLabs
• Facebookfacebook.com/Orfield-Laboratories-100054451631905
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/orfield-laboratories-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Orfield Laboratories