No single frequency-weighting can accurately meter loudness at all levels

Evidence

These effects make it difficult to design a meter which will give a ­reading which truly relates to the perceived loudness of a sound, so an instrument which gives an approximate result is usually used. This is achieved by using the sound pressure level but frequency weighting it to compensate for the variation of sensitivity of the ear as a function of frequency. Clearly the opti­ mum compensation will depend on the absolute value of the sound pres­ sure level being measured and so some form of compromise is necessary. — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 623

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Noise annoyance cannot be captured by physical sound parameters alone. — Almo Farina, Soundscape Ecology: Principles,…, 1441