Spatial Quality Evaluation for Reproduced Sound: Terminology, Meaning, and a Scene-Based Paradigm*

Spatial quality in reproduced sound is a subset of the broad topic of sound quality. In the past it has been studied less rigorously than other aspects of reproduced sound quality, leading to a lack of clarity in standard definitions of subjective attributes. Rigor in the physical measurement of sound signals should be matched by equal rigor in semantics relating to subjective evaluation. A scene-based paradigm for the description and assessment of spatial quality is described, which enables clear distinctions to be made between elements of a reproduced sound scene and will assist in the search for related physical parameters.