Physical and Perceptual Comparison of Real and Focused Sound Sources in a Concert Hall

Garí SVA, Pätynen J, Lokki T. Physical and Perceptual Comparison of Real and Focused Sound Sources in a Concert Hall. J Audio Eng Soc. 2016;64(12):1014-1025. doi:10.17743/jaes.2016.0035

@article{Gari2016_18535,
  author = {Garí, Sebastià V. Amengual and Pätynen, Jukka and Lokki, Tapio},
  title = {{Physical and Perceptual Comparison of Real and Focused Sound Sources in a Concert Hall}},
  journal = {Journal of the Audio Engineering Society},
  volume = {64},
  number = {12},
  pages = {1014--1025},
  year = {2016},
  month = dec,
  publisher = {Audio Engineering Society},
  doi = {10.17743/jaes.2016.0035},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2016.0035}
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Physical and Perceptual Comparison of Real and Focused Sound Sources in a Concert Hall
AU  - Garí, Sebastià V. Amengual
AU  - Pätynen, Jukka
AU  - Lokki, Tapio
T2  - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
J2  - J. Audio Eng. Soc.
VL  - 64
IS  - 12
SP  - 1014
EP  - 1025
PY  - 2016
DA  - 2016/12/06
DO  - 10.17743/jaes.2016.0035
UR  - https://doi.org/10.17743/jaes.2016.0035
PB  - Audio Engineering Society
LA  - en
AB  - Concert hall acoustics have been traditionally evaluated by means of room acoustic measurements and perceptual studies, which requires an available concert hall, orchestra, and audience. This article presents a physical and perceptual comparison of room acoustics between arrays of real loudspeakers and virtual loudspeakers implemented with Wave Field Synthesis in a concert hall. The physical comparison comprises time-frequency and spatiotemporal analyses of the spatial room impulse responses measured through the two reproduction methods. Perceptual comparisons are based on formal listening tests performed both in-situ and in laboratory conditions, using anechoic classical music recordings as excitation signals. The results indicate that Wave Field Synthesis yields a slower build-up and a spatially more distributed direct sound than real loudspeakers. Perceptually, Wave Field Synthesis presents brighter sound and a wider and more enveloping spatial sound image, as well as higher preference in the studied concert hall.
ER  -