Preferred large-venue room curves converged across 47 years of independent experiments.

Evidence

Figure 3.14(c) shows the results of subjective tests of preferred sound quality in large venues. The results are extraordinary in that seven room curves arrived at by four experimenters over a 47-year time span cluster closely around each other over most of the frequency range. Most fall within the 4 dB tolerance window proposed by Ljungberg in 1967 and published in 1969. They all are close approximations of what would be measured from loudspeakers radiating a flattish, direct sound. This is a direct parallel to subjective preferences in domestic listening spaces. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 360

Categorization

• CANDY: Seven room curves from four experimenters over 47 years all land within a 4 dB window — a striking convergence to describe over dinner.