Bass level errors cause perceived treble excess and vice versa

Evidence

As discussed above, the audible degradation depends on the combination of room dimensions, source and receiver positions, and the spacing and damping of the underlying room modes. Ultimately the effects also depend to some 428. degree on the program material (see further discussion in Section 14.5.11). The result can be quite audible variations in loudness at different frequencies and locations in the room. At very low frequencies loudness changes by a factor of 2 with a mere 5 dB sound level change compared to about 10 dB at middle and high frequencies (see Section 9.4). Therefore, small changes in bass level seriously influence impressions of spectral balance; a deficiency of bass is often perceived as an excess of treble, and vice versa. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1557

Categorization

• XREF: This ties into the broader perceptual phenomenon that loudness perception is highly frequency-dependent, matching psychoacoustic equal-loudness work by Fletcher-Munson/Robinson-Dadson. — connects to: Receiver noise errors are of two connected types — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 548