On the Need to Clarify Methods for Assessing the Quality of Sound Paths Through the Use of Psychoacoustic Criteria

Abstract

Currently, the evaluation of the sound quality of a product or a sound path is usually based on objective physical measurements. Despite this, in real a quality of the sound path is evaluated by human hearing. The listener evaluates the sound quality of the product or sound path using his auditory system, and not a set of physical measuring devices. In this situation, psychoacoustics is a scientific field that allows bridging the gap between physical or objective and subjective assessments. In a number of previous psychoacoustic experiments, some relations were established between the physical representation of the result and the audible perceptual sensation correlated with it. Assessing the quality of audio signals is an important consideration in making high quality sound product and sound paths and various methods have been developed. In this article is review interconnection of electrical indicators of sound quality and subjective psychoacoustic criteria assessment. It is proposed to apply the psychoacoustic assessment criteria because not all qualitative indicators can be measured using objective methods.