Page 42 - Spring 2009

Book Title: Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms
Author: Floyd E. Toole
Publisher: Focal Press, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-240-52009-4 Pages: 350
Illustrations: 219 Binding: Paperback
This book presents a broad overview of the published scientific research related to sound reproduction in small rooms. It begins with an examination of room acoustics, pointing out the important differences between the traditional metrics of large audito- riums and those required to understand the interactions between multiple loudspeakers and the much smaller rooms in which we live and listen.
The perceptual dimensions of direction and space are discussed, focusing on the requirements for their satisfactory reproduction in recorded performances. Sound qual- ity (timbre) and speech intelligibility are similarly examined. The importance of sepa- rately treating sound reproduction at frequencies below and above the transition region (the Schroeder frequency in large rooms) is emphasized, and suggestions are made about how best to achieve both good and predictable performance in both regions. The accumulated knowledge in acoustics and psychoacoustics provides clear guidance about the performance requirements of loudspeakers, their placement in rooms, and the opti- mum configurations for channels in multichannel audio systems. In many respects there is a confirmation of current practices; in others changes are indicated.
The inadequacies of some existing audio industry standards are pointed out, espe- cially the overly simplistic performance specifications for loudspeakers, the sometimes irrelevant acoustical requirements for small rooms, and the sometimes inappropriate performance specifications of common acoustical materials used to treat small rooms. Constructive suggestions are offered, and encouragement is given to the music record- ing and movie industries to adjust their practices to increase the probability that what listeners hear in their homes more closely resembles what was heard in the production environment when the “art” was created.
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