ASSESSING THE SUBJECTIVE IMPACT OF LOUDSPEAKER RESPONSE ERRORS

In order to assess the subjective impact of loudspeaker system respons e errors it is necessary to consider the following: the kinds of input signal used, how the loudspeaker modifies such signals, and the subje ctive importance of such modifications. This paper considers how louds peakers reproduce complex harmonic tones, of which most continuous mus ic signals are typical. From the amplitude of the frequency response t hree-dimensional graphs are generated of amplitude against fundamental frequency with harmonic number/group as the second horizontal axis. A cross-section of the surface at a given fundamental frequency shows t he spectral envelope that the loudspeaker imparts on the complex tone. For a given fundamental frequency the amplitude response errors at th at frequency and its harmonics are quantified by a 'sum function' whic h gives a measure of the accuracy with which that complex tone will be reproduced.