Handheld electronic devices like tablet computers are commonly used for the playback and streaming of music. With the growing popularity of multichannel and immersive audio technologies, it is important to know if they offer any improvement over traditional stereo and mono in terms of audio quality and user experience on such devices. This paper shows the results of four MUSHRA based listening tests that were conducted for the subjective assessment of multichannel audio versus stereo and mono while played back on a tablet computer with two different sets of headphones. BAQ (basic audio quality) and QoE (quality of experience) were the attributes measured. The results show that multichannel audio outperforms stereo and mono for both the attributes and a repeated measures ANOVA (analysis of variance) also confirms that the audio format has a large bearing on the results. Though the use of different headphones changes the user ratings, the consolidated results for each test follow a similar trend.
https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=21526
Click to purchase paper as a non-member or login as an AES member. If your company or school subscribes to the E-Library then switch to the institutional version. If you are not an AES member and would like to subscribe to the E-Library then Join the AES!
This paper costs $33 for non-members and is free for AES members and E-Library subscribers.
Learn more about the AES E-Library
The Engineering Briefs at this Convention were selected on the basis of a submitted synopsis, ensuring that they are of interest to AES members, and are not overly commercial. These briefs have been reproduced from the authors' advance manuscripts, without editing, corrections, or consideration by the Review Board. The AES takes no responsibility for their contents. Paper copies are not available, but any member can freely access these briefs. Members are encouraged to provide comments that enhance their usefulness.
Start a discussion about this paper!
