Subjective evaluation on vibratory feeling to noises containing a low-frequency tonal component

Abstract

Machinery noises sometimes contain low-frequency tonal components and cause an increase in noise annoyance due to the tones. It is also known that the oppressive or vibratory feeling is a unique sensation to low-frequency sounds below 100 Hz, which may also account for the increase in noise annoyance. In this study, auditory experiments were conducted to investigate the relationship between the intensity and frequency of the tonal components and the vibratory feeling. The test stimuli were broadband noises that simulated environmental noises with one additional tonal component. The frequency and the tonal audibility were varied in the range of 31.5 to 400 Hz, and 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 dB, respectively. As a result, the energy of the component below 100 Hz was found to be strongly correlated with the vibratory feeling. Furthermore, the relationship between sound pressure level and the vibratory feeling was examined using LSL weighting characteristics, which have been proposed for the evaluation of vibration and oppression sensation caused by low-frequency sound.