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Product sound quality - from perception to design
Sound and Vibration, Mar 2003 by Lyon, Richard H
It was quite a shock, therefore, when this new metric of noisiness or annoyance seemed only to predict the annoyance of jet aircraft and not, for example, roadside traffic noise (Sounds F,G).1 It also failed to predict public acceptance of the sonic boom from supersonic aircraft, a sound that seemed to be unacceptable (like the rattling motor) if it was heard at all. A senior administration official opined that supersonic flight over voting populations would never be allowed.
The Dimensions of Product Sound
The metric for Perceived Noisiness turned out to be far less robust than the metric for Loudness. It was an early indication that the acceptability of a sound was product specific to a certain degree. Even the most cursory consideration of the sound of a product leads us to see that it has certain dimensions:
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Strength or Magnitude - represented by metrics such as Loudness (Sones, Phons), A-Weighted Sound Level (dBA) and Speech Interference Level (SIL).
Annoyance Value - noisiness, roughness, sharpness (bothersome aspects of the sound, Perceived Noisiness, PNdB).
Amenity Value - regularity, harmonicity, appropriateness (the pleasing aspects of the sound, no metric).
Information Content - identification, performance and condition of the product, appropriateness (no metric).
All of these factors combine to determine how acceptable the sound of a product will be to users. That total response of acceptability is my definition of Sound Quality. In other words, Sound Quality is a perceptual reaction to the sound of a product that reflects the listener's reaction of how acceptable the sound of that product is; the more acceptable, the better the SQ rating. Sound Quality is the response of people, not a meter. It is specific to the product. "A good lawn mower does not sound like a good refrigerator." The key word here is 'acceptable,' which depends on the situation of use, expectation and other factors.
One of those other factors is one's attitude toward the noise maker. The sound of my friendly neighbor mowing his lawn and making the neighborhood nicer is acceptable, but the equally loud sound of the motorcyclist invading my quiet suburban street is not. A study of reaction to freeway noise in Los Angeles found an inverse relation between noise level and annoyance. Those close to the freeway expected the sound and were benefited by lower home prices. The sound was louder, but less bothersome. Those further away felt the noise to be an inappropriate intrusion into their nicer neighborhoods. Their sound was weaker, but they were more troubled by it.
The character of a sound can be favorable or unfavorable, depending on our expectation and experience. For example, it is widely accepted that modulation in mechanical sounds is undesirable. The sound of gearing in a golf car caused the manufacturer to reject drive components (Sound H).1 But modulation in music is very desirable (Sound I).1 And, interestingly, both reactions have the same cause - modulation captures our attention. We want to hear the musical note, but we do not want to hear the gearing mechanism.
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