Title
Quantifying sound quality in loudspeaker reproduction
Author
Beerends, J.G.
van Nieuwenhuizen, K.
van den Broek, E.L.
Publication year
2016
Abstract
We present PREQUEL: Perceptual Reproduction Quality Evaluation for Loudspeakers. Instead of quantifying the loudspeaker system itself, PREQUEL quantifies the overall loudspeakers' perceived sound quality by assessing their acoustic output using a set of music signals. This approach introduces a major problem: subjects cannot be provided with an acoustic reference signal and their judgment is based on an unknown, internal, reference. However, an objective perceptual assessment algorithm needs a reference signal in order to be able to predict the perceived sound quality. In this paper these reference signals are created by making binaural recordings with a head and torso simulator, using the best quality loudspeakers, in the ideal listening spot in the best quality listening environment. The reproduced reference signal with the highest subjective quality is compared to the acoustic degraded loudspeaker output. PREQUEL is developed and, subsequently, validated using three databases that contain binaurally recorded music fragments played over low to high quality loudspeakers in low to high quality listening rooms. The model shows a high average correlation (0.85) between objective and subjective measurements. PREQUEL thus allows prediction of the subjectively perceived sound quality of loudspeakers taking into account the influence of the listening room and the listening position.
Subject
2016 ICT
CSR - Cyber Security & Robustness
TS - Technical Sciences
Acoustic variables measurement
Audio recordings
Bins
Signal processing
Sound reproduction
Binaural recordings
Listening positions
Loudspeaker system
Objective and subjective measurements
Perceptual assessment
Quality evaluation
Reference signals
Subjective quality
Loudspeakers
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:80fd2158-1264-4832-bddb-7f77d739f2c0
DOI
https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2016.0034
TNO identifier
745597
Publisher
Audio Engineering Society
ISSN
1549-4950
Source
AES: Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 64 (10), 784-799
Document type
article