Acoustic contrast, planarity and robustness of sound zone methods using a circular loudspeaker array

Since the mid 1990s, acoustics research has been undertaken relating to the sound zone problem—using loudspeakers to deliver a region of high sound pressure while simultaneously creating an area where the sound is suppressed—in order to facilitate independent listening within the same acoustic enclosure. The published solutions to the sound zone problem are derived from areas such as wave field synthesis and beamforming. However, the properties of such methods differ and performance tends to be compared against similar approaches. In this study, the suitability of energy focusing, energy cancelation, and synthesis approaches for sound zone reproduction is investigated. Anechoic simulations based on two zones surrounded by a circular array show each of the methods to have a characteristic performance, quantified in terms of acoustic contrast, array control effort and target sound field planarity. Regularization is shown to have a significant effect on the array effort and achieved acoustic contrast, particularly when mismatched conditions are considered between calculation of the source weights and their application to the system

Personal sound zone reproduction with room reflections

Loudspeaker-based sound systems, capable of a convincing reproduction of different audio streams to listeners in the same acoustic enclosure, are a convenient alternative to headphones. Such systems aim to generate "sound zones" in which target sound programmes are to be reproduced with minimum interference from any alternative programmes. This can be achieved with appropriate filtering of the source (loudspeaker) signals, so that the target sound's energy is directed to the chosen zone while being attenuated elsewhere. The existing methods are unable to produce the required sound energy ratio (acoustic contrast) between the zones with a small number of sources when strong room reflections are present. Optimization of parameters is therefore required for systems with practical limitations to improve their performance in reflective acoustic environments. One important parameter is positioning of sources with respect to the zones and room boundaries. The first contribution of this thesis is a comparison of the key sound zoning methods implemented on compact and distributed geometrical source arrangements. The study presents previously unpublished detailed evaluation and ranking of such arrangements for systems with a limited number of sources in a reflective acoustic environment similar to a domestic room. Motivated by the requirement to investigate the relationship between source positioning and performance in detail, the central contribution of this thesis is a study on optimizing source arrangements when strong individual room reflections occur. Small sound zone systems are studied analytically and numerically to reveal relationships between the geometry of source arrays and performance in terms of acoustic contrast and array effort (related to system efficiency). Three novel source position optimization techniques are proposed to increase the contrast, and geometrical means of reducing the effort are determined. Contrary to previously published case studies, this work presents a systematic examination of the key problem of first order reflections and proposes general optimization techniques, thus forming an important contribution. The remaining contribution considers evaluation and comparison of the proposed techniques with two alternative approaches to sound zone generation under reflective conditions: acoustic contrast control (ACC) combined with anechoic source optimization and sound power minimization (SPM). The study provides a ranking of the examined approaches which could serve as a guideline for method selection for rooms with strong individual reflections

The Relationship Between Target Quality and Interference in Sound Zone

Sound zone systems aim to control sound fields in such a way that multiple listeners can enjoy different audio programs within the same room with minimal acoustic interference. Often, there is a trade-off between the acoustic contrast achieved between the zones and the fidelity of the reproduced audio program in the target zone. A listening test was conducted to obtain subjective measures of distraction, target quality, and overall quality of listening experience for ecologically valid programs within a sound zoning system. Sound zones were reproduced using acoustic contrast control, planarity control, and pressure matching applied to a circular loudspeaker array. The highest mean overall quality was a compromise between distraction and target quality. The results showed that the term “distraction” produced good agreement among listeners, and that listener ratings made using this term were a good measure of the perceived effect of the interferer

The relationship between target quality and interference in sound zones

Sound zone systems aim to produce regions within a room where listeners may consume separate audio programs with minimal acoustical interference. Often, there is a trade-off between the acoustic contrast achieved between the zones, and the fidelity of the reproduced audio program (the target quality). An open question is whether reducing contrast (i.e. allowing greater interference) can improve target quality. The planarity control sound zoning method can be used to improve spatial reproduction, though at the expense of decreased contrast. Hence, this can be used to investigate the relationship between target quality (which is affected by the spatial presentation) and distraction (which is related to the perceived effect of interference). An experiment was conducted investigating target quality and distraction, and examining their relationship with overall quality within sound zones. Sound zones were reproduced using acoustic contrast control, planarity control and pressure matching applied to a circular loudspeaker array. Overall quality was related to target quality and distraction, each having a similar magnitude of effect; however, the result was dependent upon program combination. The highest mean overall quality was a compromise between distraction and target quality, with energy arriving from up to 15 degrees either side of the target direction

A comparative performance study of sound zoning methods in a reflective environment

Whilst sound zoning methods have typically been studied under anechoic conditions, it is desirable to evaluate the performance of various methods in a real room. Three control methods were implemented (delay and sum, DS; acoustic contrast control, ACC; and pressure matching, PM) on two regular 24-element loudspeaker arrays (line and circle). The acoustic contrast between two zones was evaluated and the reproduced sound fields compared for uniformity of energy distribution. ACC generated the highest contrast, whilst PM produced a uniform bright zone. Listening tests were also performed using monophonic auralisations from measured system responses to collect ratings of perceived distraction due to the alternate audio programme. Distraction ratings were affected by control method and programme material. Copyright © (2013) by the Audio Engineering Society