Listeners cannot hear modal ringing below about 100 Hz once amplitude is equalized

Evidence

Incredibly, below 100 Hz the listeners became unresponsive to modal decay times up to almost 2 s. Noting that the amplitude responses had been equalized, they concluded that “Without such equalization the differences can be noticed much more easily, which indicates the obvious fact that the frequency-domain properties of resonances are prominent over the time domain properties.” This is in agreement with the Toole and Olive finding for resonances above 200 Hz. In any event, the conclusion was that modal ringing at frequencies below about 100 Hz is not an issue—but there is more. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1025

Categorization

• QUESTION: The ‘but there is more’ means the caveats (Avis et al., Fazenda et al.) follow — worth tracing whether later research undermines this bold claim.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1025
• XREF: connects to: Equalization only corrects sound at the measured position, not the physical resonance; Narrow-band equalization causes audible ringing in the time domain; Envelopment cues below about 80 Hz cannot be reproduced in small listening rooms (+1 more)

Related

• Listeners respond to resonance spectral prominence, not decay rate reduction (similarity 0.85)
• Modal decay times below 80 Hz are achievable with parametric equalization (similarity 0.84)
• Frequency-response peaks prove time-domain ringing in minimum-phase devices (similarity 0.83)
• Higher-Q resonances become less audible because music rarely energizes them (similarity 0.82)
• Listeners perceive bass improvements primarily through reduced spectral bumps, not faster decay (similarity 0.81)
• Resonance Q reductions below about 16 are subjectively imperceptible (similarity 0.81)
• Equalization only corrects sound at the measured position, not the physical resonance (similarity 0.81)
• Parametric equalization of minimum-phase resonances also reduces time-domain ringing (similarity 0.81)
• High-frequency-resolution waterfalls falsely suggest uncontrolled ringing (similarity 0.81)
• Equalization and mode cancellation both reduce bass resonance ringing despite different mechanisms (similarity 0.80)
• Room modes being minimum-phase means fixing the spectral bump also fixes the ringing (similarity 0.80)
• After Q oscillations the amplitude falls to 4% and energy to 0.19% of original (similarity 0.80)
• High-Q resonances are rarely heard but catastrophically audible when music hits their exact frequency (similarity 0.80)
• Reverberation masks high-Q ringing but amplifies low-Q resonances (similarity 0.79)
• Adding damping to a resonance paradoxically makes it more audible by widening its bandwidth (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Narrow-band equalization causes audible ringing in the time domain #qualifies (0.90)
• Modal decay times below 80 Hz are achievable with parametric equalization #complicates (0.80)
• Envelopment cues below about 80 Hz cannot be reproduced in small listening rooms #corroborates (0.75)