A sound quality model for the range hood noise and its application in noise control

The noise emitted by range hoods is one of the major factors affecting product quality. The ultimate goal of noise reduction is to give end-users a better auditory perception instead of simply a lower sound pressure level. In this study, a sound quality evaluation model for the range hoods is established and applied to guide noise control. In order to characterize sound quality, two subjective evaluation tests were carried out. Firstly, the annoyance of all the noises recorded under different environments, speeds and positions is evaluated. Secondly, the perceptual space underlying the dissimilarity judgments was analyzed by MDS. Each dimension of the space is well explained by an objective parameter. The objective parameters and the subjective annoyance evaluations obtained from the jury tests are respectively used as the input and output of the sound quality model. Based on multiple linear regression, the sound quality model is estimated and proved to be accurate and efficient by some verification tests. Moreover, the sound quality of different passive and active noise control (ANC) techniques is evaluated. The results suggest that ANC positively affects sound quality, which is consistent with the subjective perception of most listeners. The sound-quality-based noise control approaches will be more appropriate for improving the commercial value of the range hoods.