Optimizing wide-area sound reproduction using a single subwoofer with dynamic signal decorrelation

A central goal in small room sound reproduction is achieving consistent sound energy distribution across a wide listening area. This is especially difficult at low-frequencies where room-modes result in highly position-dependent listening experiences. While numerous techniques for multiple-degree-of-freedom systems exist and have proven to be highly effective, this work focuses on achieving position-independent low-frequency listening experiences with a single subwoofer. The negative effects due to room-modes and comb-filtering are mitigated by applying a time-varying decorrelation method known as dynamic diffuse signal processing. Results indicate that spatial variance in magnitude response can be significantly reduced, although there is a sharp trade-off between the algorithm’s effectiveness and the resulting perceptual coloration of the audio signal