Validation of the Developed Psychoacoustic Model for Sound Quality Valuation of Washing Machines

The evaluation of the acoustic quality of sound-emitting appliances is primarily conducted by measuring psychoacoustic parameters or by means of a jury study through subjective evaluation by respondents. This article aims to validate the developed model for evaluating the acoustic quality of washing machines. Three top-loading washing machines were used in three operating modes for validation. The measurement of the psychoacoustic parameters of these washing machines was carried out. Subsequently, in the evaluation process, a developed quality index was used, based on which a ranking of washing machines in terms of sound quality was determined. Subsequently, the results were validated using a questionnaire. By comparing the results of the evaluation of the questionnaire method and the application of the developed sound quality evaluation model based on the sound quality index, an almost perfect agreement is evident in determining the ranking of washing machines using both methods, as confirmed by statistical analysis. Developed a model for the evaluation of psychoacoustic quality and its application to the measured psychoacoustic parameters that can substitute the time-consuming methods of assessing sound quality through questionnaire surveys. The application of the developed method significantly reduces the evaluation time.