A Preliminary Investigation on the Subjective Evaluation of Church Acoustics Using Listening Tests

The paper describes the main steps of a research to investigate the relation between subjective assessment of listening conditions in churches and the main objective acoustic parameters. Measurements of binaural and B-format impulse responses were made in several churches and in different positions inside the same church. A listening room was designed and realized in order to carry out listening tests using a stereo-dipole configuration. Measured binaural IRs were cross-talk canceled and then auralized with an anechoic motif. Paired comparisons were finally performed, asking a trained panel of subjects their preference.