Annoyance of low frequency noise and traffic noise

Abstract

The annoyance of different low frequency noise sources was determined and compared to the annoyance from traffic noise. Twenty-two subjects participated in laboratory listening tests. The sounds were presented by loudspeakers in a listening room and the spectra of the low frequency noises were dominated by the frequency range 10 Hz to 200 Hz. Pure tone hearing thresholds down to 31 Hz were also measured. Eighteen normal hearing subjects and four subjects with special low-frequency problems participated in the tests.