Listening window averaging estimates the direct sound heard by a typical audience

Evidence

A multiple-microphone array was installed to allow rapid evaluation of on-axis and listening window frequency response curves. The listening window was, I believe, a new concept at the time, providing an average of measurements at ±15° vertically, and ±15° and ±30° horizontally, thereby estimating the average direct sound likely to be heard by members of an audience. The spatial averaging also attenuated visual evidence of acoustical interference, better revealing the audible character of direct sound. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 170

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines what the ‘listening window’ measurement concept is — the spatial average of off-axis direct sound.
• SEED: An angle for an article on why single-axis anechoic measurements mislead consumers — the listening window concept explains the discrepancy.