Subjective Evaluation of a Purpose-Based In-Cabin SoundField Control Using a Multichannel Audio System

Kim S, Sato R, Kim J, Kim S. Subjective Evaluation of a Purpose-Based In-Cabin SoundField Control Using a Multichannel Audio System. In: AES Show 2026 Nashville. Audio Engineering Society; 2026.pp. 39:1-10. Available from: https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23471

@inproceedings{Kim2026_23471,
  author = {Kim, Sungjoon and Sato, Rai and Kim, Juin and Kim, Sungyoung},
  title = {{Subjective Evaluation of a Purpose-Based In-Cabin SoundField Control Using a Multichannel Audio System}},
  booktitle = {AES Show 2026 Nashville},
  pages = {39:1-10},
  url = {https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23471},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  address = {Gaylord Opryland Resort}
}

TY  - CPAPER
TI  - Subjective Evaluation of a Purpose-Based In-Cabin SoundField Control Using a Multichannel Audio System
AU  - Kim, Sungjoon
AU  - Sato, Rai
AU  - Kim, Juin
AU  - Kim, Sungyoung
T2  - AES Show 2026 Nashville
SP  - 1
EP  - 10
M1  - Paper 39
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/30
UR  - https://aes.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=23471
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
CY  - Gaylord Opryland Resort
LA  - en
AB  - Modern vehicle cabins are increasingly expected to support diverse activities beyond driving, including music listening and work-related tasks. This study investigated how a purpose-based in-cabin sound-field control system affects subjective impressions and task performance across different in-cabin activities. A within-subjects experiment was conducted with 67 participants, who experienced both the baseline condition (OFF) and the proposed processing condition (ON) during music-listening, speech-listening, and reading tasks. The proposed system modifies in-cabin reverberation through a customized active sound-field manipulation system designed to optimize the acoustic environment for music listening and to provide task-specific processing for work-related activities. Subjective evaluations showed that the system significantly improved perceived suitability for music listening together with spatial presentation, music immersion, acoustic comfort, and perceived naturalness. In contrast, under the non-driving condition, the system did not significantly improved perceived suitability or task performance for the work-related activities. These findings suggest that the effectiveness of the proposed sound-field control approach may depend on both the users intended activity and listening environment. However, further evaluation under real-world driving conditions is needed to determine whether the system can effectively support work-related activities.
ER  -