Timbre in the Musical Performance as a Result of Audio-Mental Operations

The aim of this paper is to reveal the relationship between the timbre, i.e. sound quality, obtained by an instrumentalist when playing a music piece, and the role of the hearing, listening, and other musical specific mental operations that take place in the brain of the instrumentalist during the performance, with the focus on the classical music, which depends in the most cases on the score. The timbre is a characteristic of every instrument or voice that makes their tone unique. It is given by the different sound components (partials) with different frequencies and amplitudes. The number and the amplitude of the partials are different from instrument to instrument; they depend on the construction of the instrument and on the art of playing, the last being the point in this article. It is known that timbre has an emotional impact on the perception. Its semantic features are represented through descriptors as: dark, bright, round, dull, dry, harsh, etc. that have to be created by the performers, in order to affect the auditory. Thus, they have to possess a good technique, able to get different timbres. Although, the technique has to be subordinated to the capacity of hearing in advance the sound with all its features: pitch, duration, intensity and timbre.

Evaluating the causative factors that lead to rejection of hearing aids among young adults having moderate to severe degree sensorineural hearing loss

Background: Hearing loss in young adulthood causes real stigma and a state of denial. The crucial clinical management to sustain the hearing loss is hearing aid fitting, but most adult people reject it or do not use it. Many factors, including social, personal, and device problems, lessen the usage of hearing aid. The objective of this study was to evaluate the causative factors which can lead to the rejection of hearing aids. Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional survey carried out in 9 cities of Punjab, Pakistan, using a convenient sampling technique during summer 2018. A total of 171 participants were included who were young adults ranging from 19-40 years. A questionnaire with 11 factors and a further 35 sub-reasons was given to the participants. Questions were close-ended in yes or no. Data were analyzed through frequency and percentages tabulation with SPSS software. Results: Results showed that hearing aid value/speech clarity was the most problematic reason for patients to reject hearing aid. The given factor had four sub-reasons ('noisy situation,' 'poor benefit,' 'poor sound quality, and 'not suitable for the type of hearing loss). A total number n=154 (90.05%) marked yes for facing poor sound quality followed by poor benefit n=141 (82.45%), not suitable for the type of hearing loss n=121 (70.76%) and noisy situation n=118 (69.00%), thus making hearing aid value the leading cause of rejection. The second leading cause was financial factors followed by situational factors, appearance, fit and comfort, device factors, psychosocial factors, ear infections, care and maintenance, attitude, and family pressure to use a hearing aid. Conclusion: Most prevalent cause of not taking up a hearing aid is the hearing aid value followed by financial factors, situational factors, appearance, fit, and comfort.

Intercultural Differences in the Perception of HVAC Sound Quality in Car Cabins: From Conventional to Electric Vehicles

In electric-powered cars, the production of which is increasing, the HVAC system is responsible for most of the noise inside the car’s cabin, causing significant discomfort for passengers. Moreover, the noise produced by the HVAC affects the perceptible sound inside the car cabin, significantly impacting the perceived quality of the vehicle. It is thus essential to investigate and quantify people’s preferences concerning HVAC noise. Our previous research revealed differences in the HVAC noise between hybrid electric (HEV) and internal combustion engine (ICEV) vehicles. A subsequent factor analysis revealed that the adjectives used to describe the sounds can be grouped into two main dimensions: Aesthetic and Loudness. The present paper highlights the results of a listening test that aimed to identify possible differences in the perception of HVACs’ sound quality between Italian and Japanese subject groups, for ICEV and HEV, in different functioning conditions. Results revealed that the most remarkable difference emerges at high air flow rates, where the Japanese group perceived the quality of sound and annoyance, respectively, to be significantly lower and significantly higher than the Italian group.