Research project HöWa

The acoustic quality of a listening room is not determined solely by playback equipment such as loudspeakers or amplifiers, but crucially by the room acoustics. Reflections, resonances, and reverberation shape the sound image and strongly influence the perception of authenticity and precision. A key factor in this context is the individual listening expectation – the subjective notion of what a space should sound like.

The research project HöWa investigates how these listening expectations can be systematically assessed and integrated into the design and optimization of listening environments. The goal is to develop a modern, VR-based tool that allows users to virtually experience different acoustic room configurations and evaluate their perceptual impact. Based on these interactive listening tests, individual preferences regarding reverberation, reflections, and tonal balance can be identified.

To achieve realistic auditory reproduction, dynamic binaural synthesis is employed. This technique simulates a three-dimensional sound field over headphones, allowing acoustic parameters to be varied and their perceptual effects to be directly experienced.

The results of the project allow for a novel technical service that incorporates individual listening expectations into the planning process, providing a scientifically-based approach to the acoustic design of listening rooms.

Project partners include TH Köln, responsible for the technical implementation of the VR-based auralization system, and mbakustik, contributing extensive expertise in room acoustic consulting and listening expectation analysis.