Learning, a Major Factor Influencing Preferences for High-Fidelity Reproducing Systems

Abstract

Frequency range preferences of 210 college students for reproduced music and speech were determined by an A-B-A preference test. Two groups of subjects then listened to music reproduced over a restricted frequency range and a relatively unrestricted frequency range, respectively, for six and one-half weeks. The results of a post-frequency range preference test indicate that: (1) learning plays an important role in determining preferences for sound reproducing systems; (2) continued contact with a particular system produces shifts in preference for this system; (3) the average college student prefers music and speech reproduced over a restricted frequency range rather than an unrestricted frequency range; and (4) the frequency range preferences of college students are in part a function of the type of music to which they are listening.