Bass performance drives roughly 30% of overall loudspeaker sound-quality ratings.
Evidence
The earliest investigations revealed a positive correlation between low-bass extension and overall sound-quality ratings (Figure 2.5). More recent investigations showed that bass performance accounted for approximately 30% of overall sound-quality ratings, and both bass extension and quality were significant factors (Olive, 2004a, 2004b). The degree to which listeners can adapt to irregular, resonant bass performance has been investigated by a few studies, and it seems that while some amount of adaptation is possible, there are limits. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 592
“Small rooms” are notorious for bad bass. Sustained bass notes fluctuate in level as they change frequency. Bass transients “boom” and lack the tightness that can be experienced in live performances. All these audible characteristics change as one moves around the room or sits in different seats. These problems exist in recording control rooms used in the creation of music, movie and television sound, and the multitudes of domestic spaces devoted to stereo listening and home theaters. In assessing the factors contributing to subjective judgments of sound quality, discussed in Chapter 11, it was shown that about 30% of the overall rating is contributed by factors related to low-frequency performance (Olive, 2004a, 2004b). It is a major problem in all of audio. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1506
Categorization
- QUESTION: What specific limits on listener adaptation to resonant bass did the cited studies find? Worth chasing in Chapter 14 or the Olive 2004a/2004b papers.
- DEFINE: Quantifies just how much weight low-frequency performance carries in overall subjective sound-quality ratings.
- corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 592; Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1506