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Sound Label: A Methodological Approach to Household Appliance Sound Quality

This thesis systematically explores the essential steps and defines scientific challenges to establish a sound label for categorizing the sound quality of home appliances, providing consumers with a straightforward and easily understandable information about product sound quality.
The study begins by defining and analyzing the challenges in sound quality research. First, the advantages and disadvantages of online listening tests were examined. The results of the experiments clearly showed that online sound quality studies present a significant opportunity to expand the scope of sound quality research and to facilitate direct involvement of users in perception-based development decisions. Secondly, the reproducibility of annoyance assessments was investigated. The results indicated that careful selection of stimuli and test methodologies, ensure consistent and repeatable psychoacoustic ratings. Finally, it was demonstrated that the choice of stimuli plays a crucial role in sound quality studies, highlighting the need for careful consideration in this regard.
Furthermore, the thesis examines the effect of tonality on annoyance perception through experiments, exploring its relationship with signal level and harmony. It was found that, elevated signal levels primarily influence annoyance ratings, while at lower levels, tonal characteristics play a more pronounced role. Additionally, it was demonstrated that the harmonic relationships of multiple tonal components in compositions have either no or negligible effects on annoyance for two-tone pairs.
In order to improve the understanding and evaluation of sound quality, acoustic characteristics of three household appliances – dishwashers, refrigerators, and vacuum cleaners – were examined in detail. First, potential mechanisms of noise generation were determined by analyzing the individual appliance types to familiarize the reader with the device under consideration. Through a comprehensive set of listening tests, the main factors contributing to annoyance were identified, and models were developed to explain the underlying relationships between acoustic – psychoacoustics parameters and perceived sound quality on a device-specific basis.
Building on the results, the thesis concludes by offering a methodological framework for the development of a sound label for various household appliances that incorporates comprehensive assessments of sound quality. The potential impacts of the Sound Label system were discussed in conclusion, emphasizing the importance of improved communication and transparency in the area of sound quality.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:92607
Date08 August 2024
CreatorsAtamer, Serkan
ContributorsAltinsoy, Ercan, Takada, Masayuki, Technische Universität Dresden
Source SetsHochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typeinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:doctoralThesis, info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis, doc-type:Text
Rightsinfo:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess

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