Product sound quality depends on task context, not just pleasantness.

Evidence

In contrast, the identification of the sound source can significantly influence annoyance rating. For example, the original sound of a coffee machine, brewing fresh coffee, was preferred in comparison to the processed version, despite same loudness-time function. Also the sound of clinking wineglasses produces much less annoyance for the original sound than for the processed sound. On the other hand, however, for many other sounds, not only the loudness rating but also the annoyance rating was only little influenced by the effect whether the sound source could be identified. — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1866 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Modern loudspeaker differences are often statistical ties decided by program material. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1862; Cognitive context determines whether a sound feature is good or bad; Visual and contextual cues bias human judgments of sound quality (+4 more)

Broader Connections

• Visual and contextual cues bias human judgments of sound quality #corroborates (0.80)
• Identifying a sound source can shift annoyance independent of loudness #corroborates (0.78) — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 1866
• Sound reproduction quality depends on both physical acoustics and human perception #expands (0.75)
• Brand, cost, and prior exposure bias subjective audio judgments #corroborates (0.75)
• Reducing background noise improves both safety and perceived sound quality #corroborates (0.72)