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Subjective Preference of Modal Control Methods in Listening Rooms

Methods to control the unwanted effects of low-frequency modes in critical listening rooms range from complex signal processing to the positioning of loudspeakers and listeners. A rigorous scientific experiment has been conducted to evaluate the perceived quality of eight low-frequency reproduction systems used to control the unwanted effects of room modes in a standard listening room. A strong correlation has been demonstrated between perceived improvements in quality and the decay times of low-frequency energy. For critical listening conditions, those systems ensuring a faster decay of low-frequency energy are preferred over those attempting to “flatten” the magnitude frequency response.

Authors: Fazenda, Bruno; Wankling, Matthew; Hargreaves, Jonathan; Elmer, Lucy; Hirst, Jonathan
Affiliation: University of Salford, Greater Manchester, UK
JAES Volume 60 Issue 5 pp. 338-349; May 2012 Import into BibTeX

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