Validation of Direction-Dependent Equal Loudness Levels of Frequency Bands

Understanding loudness perception and how it is affected by source location is becoming more important than ever before, following the recent growth of both commercial and scientific interest in immersive and spatial audio. A previous investigation derived a set of equal loudness levels of different frequency bands for a 7.1.4 multichannel loudspeaker layout and highlighted potential differences in loudness perception depending on source location. Additional testing sessions have since been carried out and the present investigation aims to validate the results. Empirical validation is essential to ensure the reliability and practical applicability of these findings. The results generally verify the effectiveness of the original study’s suggested levels in providing perceived spectral flatness between frequency bands for continuous sound sources originating at the speaker positions of a 7.1.4 loudspeaker layout.