Reconciling Dialogue Intelligibility With Overall Listening Satisfaction

Sugimoto T. Reconciling Dialogue Intelligibility With Overall Listening Satisfaction. J Audio Eng Soc. 2026;74(9):636-646. doi:10.17743/jaes.2026.0295

@article{Sugimoto2026_23440,
  author = {Sugimoto, Takehiro},
  title = {{Reconciling Dialogue Intelligibility With Overall Listening Satisfaction}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {74},
  number = {9},
  pages = {636--646},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2026.0295},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2026.0295}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Reconciling Dialogue Intelligibility With Overall Listening Satisfaction
AU  - Sugimoto, Takehiro
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 74
IS  - 9
SP  - 636
EP  - 646
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/16
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2026.0295
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2026.0295
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Dialogue enhancement is a key function of object-based audio broadcasting services, enabling listeners to improve dialogue intelligibility by adjusting the dialogue-to-background sound (D/B) ratio. Although increasing the D/B ratio is known to enhance intelligibility, its effect on overall listening satisfaction with broadcast programs has not yet been fully clarified. This study investigates dialogue enhancement conditions that reconcile dialogue intelligibility with overall listening satisfaction. Subjective evaluation experiments were conducted using 70 stimuli derived from ten types of sound material, with the D/B ratio varied under a fixed integrated loudness level condition. Fifty nonprofessional listeners evaluated the stimuli in their home environments using either loudspeakers or headphones/earphones, rating perceived changes in dialogue intelligibility and overall listening satisfaction after application of dialogue enhancement. The results revealed distinct trends between the two perceptual metrics: intelligibility increased monotonically with the enhancement level, whereas overall listening satisfaction exhibited a peak, indicating diminishing benefits at higher enhancement levels. Quadratic regression analyses further suggested that a D/B ratio of approximately 8.5 dB provides the most favorable balance, achieving both high intelligibility and high satisfaction, despite variations in the initial D/B ratio prior to dialogue enhancement.
ER  -