Subjective rank-orderings and acoustical measurements for fifty-eight concert halls

A rank-ordering of fifty-eight concert halls according to their acoustical quality is presented, based on interviews of conductors, music critics and well-traveled music aficionados. For a large percentage of these halls, objective measurements of the acoustical attributes are presented. These objective data are compared to the subjective rank orderings in a series of charts. The acoustical attributes considered are reverberation time RT, early decay time EDT, Binaural Quality Index BQI (proposed name for the quantity [1-IACCE3], where the measured quantity is the interaural cross-correlation coefficient, integrated over 0 to 80 ms and averaged for the three octave bands. 500, 1k and 2k Hz bands), initial-time-delay gap ITDG, bass ratio BR, strength factor G at mid frequencies (average of 500 and 1k octave bands), strength factor G125 at 125 Hz, lateral fraction LFE (both the average of LFE in the 125, 250, 500 and 1k Hz bands and in the 500, 1k and 2k bands, where E indicates integration over 0 to 80 ms), surface diffusivity index (visual) SDI, and support factor STI. The objective quantities that correlate best with the subjective rank orderings are BQI, EDTmid, G125. SDI and ITDG, in that order. The possible use of the characteristics texture and late lateral strength factor are discussed.