Perceptual Evaluation of Dynamic Sound Zones, Part 1: Audio Quality of Experience in a Simulated Home Environment

A sound system was developed to test new innovative designs for creating personal sound zones in a simulated home environment. A listening test paradigm with rating scales was customized and verified as suitable for collecting reliable data describing the basic audio quality and audio quality of experience of sound zones. Based on a previous study, a selection of attributes was evaluated, and all were found to be significantly predicted by the chosen changes in audio content, gain, and bass. A large subwoofer setup was added to the domestic system in some scenarios to reproduce low-frequency components and confirmed to positively affect audio quality of experience. However, the bass enhancement also increased perceived annoyance, which highlights the trade-off between bass quality and sound zone separation. Ways to optimize the experimental protocol are suggested for future studies of perception and affection for audio reproduction in sound zones, including the continued work in the ISOBEL project.