Higher-Q resonances become less audible because music rarely energizes them

Evidence

Toole and Olive (1988) concluded that at frequencies above 200 Hz the threshold of detection of resonances decreased about 3 dB for each doubling of the Q value. This means that the higher the Q, and therefore the longer the ringing, the less detectable the resonance. This is not an indication that ringing per se is not a problem, rather it most likely relates to the probability of a narrow band resonance being energized by typical music. Consequently, at these frequencies the duration of ringing is not a reliable indicator of audibility-see Section 5. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1645

Categorization

• QUESTION: How does this 3 dB per Q-doubling rule compare to the low-frequency (below 200 Hz) region where resonant modal behavior differs from the diffuse-field region?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1645
• XREF: connects to: After Q oscillations the amplitude falls to 4% and energy to 0.19% of original; Adding damping to a resonance paradoxically makes it more audible by widening its bandwidth; High-Q resonances are rarely heard but catastrophically audible when music hits their exact frequency (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Lower-Q resonances are more audible than high-Q ones despite seeming better-damped #expands (0.82) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 385
• Attenuating a resonance’s spectral bump necessarily reduces its ringing #contradicts (0.75)