Spatial information of sound fields for room-acoustics evaluation and diagnosis

Abstract

Numerous subjective attributes of the listening experience in auditoria, particularly concert halls, can be described by the many available contemporary room-acoustic indicators. Subjective response is also known to be influenced by the spatial distribution of sound energy. The spatial distribution is not only desirable to diagnose acoustical defects, but also to visualize and quantitatively appreciate the extent to which the various interior design features influence acoustic quality. The objective of the present work is to demonstrate the usefulness of spatial acoustic information for quality assessment and defect diagnosis within enclosures. A new measurement method based on transient sound intensity is employed for obtaining the spatial information and examples of applications are presented together with a discussion of the method’s potential.