Speech comprehension depends on direct sound, which falls off with the inverse square law.
Evidence
Equation 6.1 shows that the intensity of the direct sound reduces as the square of the distance from the source, in the same way as a sound in free space. This has important consequences for listening to sound in real spaces. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1691 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: In rooms the inverse-square law applies only to the direct sound — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1260; Direct sound intensity falls with the square of distance from the source — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1691; Direct sound carries signal information uncontaminated and governs speech intelligibility — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1729 (+7 more)
Broader Connections
- Direct sound intensity falls with the square of distance from the source
#corroborates(1.00) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1691 - Inverse-square law governs direct sound intensity even inside enclosed spaces
#corroborates(0.85) - Direct sound carries signal information uncontaminated and governs speech intelligibility
#expands(0.80) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1729 - Sound pressure amplitude falls off as the inverse of distance from a source
#qualifies(0.80) - Sound intensity falls off as distance squares only in free field, boundary-free conditions
#qualifies(0.80) - Increasing speaker directivity reduces the reverberant field like a tone control does
#expands(0.75) - Reflected sound obeys an inverse square law in addition to surface absorption losses
#expands(0.72) - Off-axis wall reflections arrive substantially attenuated relative to the direct sound.
#expands(0.72) - Speech intelligibility depends on high direct-to-reverberant sound ratios
#expands(0.70) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 2434