In Situ Measurement and Equalization of Sound Reproduction Systems
The concept of frequency response is of basic importance to audio reproduction equipment. When analyzing electronic equipment, this characteristic is seldom a problem of measurement or interpretation. It is a problem, however, for acoustical transducers such as loudspeakers. Unlike electronic equipment which has both electrical input and output terminals, the loudspeaker has an electrical input terminal but an acoustical output. This acoustical output is further complicated by the fact that a room is always interposed between the loudspeaker and the acoustical measuring device. With the human as the ultimate evaluation instrument, various measurement and interpretation questions arise regarding frequency response, variations among listeners, and effect of program material. The major question, however, is just what the frequency response of a particular sound reproduction system should be. In order to answer these questions, several psychoacoustical experiments were devised, based upon a listener's ability to detect differences. These experiments and their results are described in detail as they relate to the following types of sound reproduction systems: 1) sound reinforcement systems, 2) studio monitoring systems, 3) home high-fidelity systems.
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