Authors: Steve F Temme, Pascal Brunet, D.B. (Don) Keele Jr.

Abstract:
Manufacturing defects in loudspeaker production can often be identified by an increase in Rub & Buzz distortion. This type of distortion is quite noticeable because it contributes an edgy sound to the reproduction and is annoying because it often sounds separate or disembodied from the fundamental signal. The annoyance of Rub & Buzz distortion is tied intimately to human perception of sound and psychoacoustics. To properly implement automated production-line testing of loudspeaker Rub & Buzz defects, one has to model or imitate the hearing process using a sufficiently accurate perceptual model. This paper describes the results of a Rub & Buzz detection system using a simplified perceptual model based on human masking thresholds that yields excellent results.