Conference Paper
A Review of Active Road Noise Control System Performance and Measurement Methods
2026 AES 6th International Automotive Audio Conference · Paper 13 · July 2026
Abstract
Active Road Noise Control (RNC) has emerged as an important complement to passive treatments for mitigating low-frequency tirepavement noise in automotive cabins. Although numerous global and local RNC systems have
been reported in the literature and implemented in production vehicles, their performance is often accessed using indicators and methodologies with high measurement variation, hindering direct comparison across studies and
applications. This paper presents a review of performance evaluation metrics and measurement methods for automotive RNC systems. Key performance indicators, including sound pressure level reduction, effective frequency range, spatial effectiveness, adaptability, and robustness, are discussed with an emphasis on noise reduction measurements used in both industrial practice and academic research. Existing standards and test procedures are reviewed alongside commonly used experimental methods, such as single-point microphone measurements, artificial head measurements, and small and large microphone array techniques. Reported noise reduction performance of representative global and local RNC systems is summarized to illustrate the influence of system architecture and measurement methodology on published results. The review highlights current limitations in RNC performance assessment, including test scenario complexity, measurement variability, and the lack of unified international standards. These findings offer a framework for selecting appropriate evaluation methods and facilitate the future development and standardization of automotive RNC system performance assessment.
