Investigation of subjective components of overall acoustic quality using binaural recordings made in Hartford's Belding Theater

Abstract

Previous research in concert hall acoustics has established correlations between listener preference for overall acoustic quality (OAQ) and a number of other subjective factors. A subjective study was conducted to determine the relative importance of several characteristics to OAQ. Subjects evaluated 18 signals based on listener envelopment, reverberance, tonal quality, and overall preference using five-point rating scales. The signals were presented individually over headphones. A total of 32 subjects with formal musical training and normal hearing were included in the study. Following a brief tutorial and training session, the test was divided into four sets, one for each of the subjective factors. All of the signals and sets were presented to each subject in a random order. The binaural recordings were made in the Belding Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. A loudspeaker on the stage played three short classical motifs that were recorded in three seat locations with two distinct settings of the hall’s variable acoustics system. The sound pressure levels of all signals were normalized to isolate the characteristics of interest. The data analysis identified relationships between the three factors and OAQ, with the most significant relationship between OAQ and tonal quality. [Work was supported by NSF Grant 1302741.]