Quantifying the diffuseness of a sound field using a combined pressure and particle velocity sensor.

Abstract

In many areas of acoustics, the degree to which a sound field is mixed, diffuse, or spatially uniform is important in understanding the system. In the case of performance spaces, it influences the audience’s perception of the performance. More generally, it may have implications on the assessment of measurements taken in a space since often the evaluation of room‐acoustic measurements relies on diffuse field assumptions. Several techniques have been proposed to quantify the diffuseness in a space, and one of the more recent methods will be investigated in this paper. Signals measured with a combined pressure and particle velocity sensor are used to calculate energy density and average intensity. The degree of diffuseness is then associated with the relationship between these two quantities. This paper discusses aspects of the relevant theory and practical implementation.