The visual impression created by architectural elements surrounding the stage in a concert hall can influence the audience’s auditory perception, although the specific effects are not fully understood. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate how wall materials and the lightness of walls and ceilings affect auditory impressions through a psychological evaluation experiment. In the experiment, a three-dimensional sound field reproduction system based on the Boundary Surface Control principle and a head-mounted display (HMD) were used to present a realistic environment. Subjects listened to a piano performance as if seated in a medium-sized concert hall, with auditory stimuli kept constant while only the visual conditions changed. The effects of visual conditions were evaluated using a paired comparison method, presenting a reference condition showing the standard hall interior and a condition in which a single architectural element was differed. Psychological scales related to visual, auditory, and overall impressions were used to assess the differences between each pair of conditions. As a result, it was confirmed that visual conditions had a statistically significant effect on auditory impressions across several conditions and psychological scales. For example, darker ceilings and walls enhanced concentration on music, while glass materials increased the perceived auditory transparency.
Sugimoto et al. (Wed,) studied this question.
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