Loudspeakers and room acoustics remain the weak link in audio quality

Evidence

Digital signal processing in particular has improved the price/quality ratio of audio recording and playback compared to analogue techniques, practically replacing them. Analogue electronic components, such as amplifiers, can also be made practically perfect. However, some electroacoustic components of the audio reproduction chain, especially loudspeakers and their connection to room acoustics, are more problematic. Headphone reproduction is also not straightforward if a very accurate sound field inside the ear canal is desired. These issues motivate the use of signal processing to enhance the responses of audio devices. This chapter will review the electroacoustics of loudspeakers and microphones, the measurement of system responses, basic properties of the responses, and the equalization of the systems. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 464

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the broader soundscape/silence reading: the ‘practically perfect’ electronics vs. imperfect transducer-room coupling echoes the theme that the physical interface with the world is where engineering ideals break down.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 464