Recording studio background noise should approach the hearing threshold

Evidence

After a detailed investigation, the ultimate goal for recording studios was concluded to be as close to the hearing threshold as possible (Cohen and Fielder, 1992). Everything else leaves a residual background that inevitably will have a character of its own, and which might be captured in recordings and reproduced in quiet listening rooms. Figure 9.10 shows this perspective on background noise, which includes some real-world data on home listening rooms. Clearly, with rare exceptions, any sound isolation in home theaters is most likely to be needed to keep good sounds in, rather than bad sounds out. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 942

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the One Square Inch of Silence material on ambient noise floors and what characterizes a quiet room. — connects to: Reducing background noise improves both safety and perceived sound quality; Near-threshold sounds may sound louder to impaired than to normal ears — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 845; Glimpses can fall below audibility threshold for hearing-impaired listeners (+4 more)
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 942

Broader Connections

• Reducing background noise improves both safety and perceived sound quality #corroborates (0.85)
• Good noise isolation reduces preferred playback levels and hearing damage #corroborates (0.80)
• High ambient noise forces listeners to raise volume toward hearing-loss levels #corroborates (0.80) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2562
• Audiometric testing requires ambient sound below 35 dBA with frequency-specific limits #expands (0.75) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2344
• Glimpses can fall below audibility threshold for hearing-impaired listeners #qualifies (0.72)
• Elevated hearing thresholds impair spatial separation of direct sound from room reflections. #qualifies (0.72)
• Near-threshold sounds may sound louder to impaired than to normal ears #complicates (0.70) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 845