Beschreibung:
The perceived sound quality of sound-reproducing systems can be described in terms of perceptual dimensions as clarity, fullness, brightness, spaciousness, and others [A. Gabrielsson and H. Sjögren, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 65, 1019–1033 (1979)], and fidelity may be considered as a weighted combination of the perceptual variables. The frequency response probably affects all these variables. An experiment, in which the frequency response was manipulated, showed that, among other things, brightness and sharpness increased with increased frequency response at higher frequencies, fullness and nearness decreased with decreased response at lower frequencies, and clarity increased with a certain rise above 1 kHz in comparison with a flat response. The results were more pronounced for normal hearing than for hearing impaired persons, but both categories preferred a frequency response increasing above 1 kHz to a flat response. Similar results were obtained from an analysis of the frequency response of high-fidelity loudspeakers used in an extensive listening test [A. Gabrielsson and B. Lindström, J. Aud. Eng. Soc. 33, 33–53 (1985)]. This was especially evident when the frequency response was measured directly in the listening room.