Concert hall acoustics have been traditionally evaluated by means of room acoustic measurements and perceptual studies, which requires an available concert hall, orchestra, and audience. This article presents a physical and perceptual comparison of room acoustics between arrays of real loudspeakers and virtual loudspeakers implemented with Wave Field Synthesis in a concert hall. The physical comparison comprises time-frequency and spatiotemporal analyses of the spatial room impulse responses measured through the two reproduction methods. Perceptual comparisons are based on formal listening tests performed both in-situ and in laboratory conditions, using anechoic classical music recordings as excitation signals. The results indicate that Wave Field Synthesis yields a slower build-up and a spatially more distributed direct sound than real loudspeakers. Perceptually, Wave Field Synthesis presents brighter sound and a wider and more enveloping spatial sound image, as well as higher preference in the studied concert hall.

Authors: Garí, Sebastià V. Amengual; Pätynen, Jukka; Lokki, Tapio
Affiliations: Erich-Thienhaus-Institut, University of Music Detmold, Detmold, Germany; Department of Computer Science, Aalto University School of Science, Espoo, Finland(See document for exact affiliation information.)
JAES Volume 64 Issue 12 pp. 1014-1025; December 2016
Publication Date: December 27, 2016 Import into BibTeX
Permalink: http://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=18535

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E-Library Location: (CD JAES64)   /jaes64/12/pg1014.pdf

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2016.0035

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