The relation between the sone and phon scales of loudness
Several previous investigators have studied the relation between loudness level and loudness sensation but have obtained discordant results. It is thought that a cause of these differences is that results are influenced by the test procedure. A new set of experiments is described in
which a variety of sounds having known loudness level-intensity relations was used to make independent estimates of the phon-sone scale law over a wide intensity range. The uniqueness of this relation, which is prerequisite to its existence, is strongly demonstrated by the agreement of results
for entirely different sounds and also by the consistency of the data for widely different test ratios. An unexplained difference remains between the scales for sounds ordered in ascending and descending loudness respectively, as has been found previously. The experiments were conducted in
a manner directly related to the practical use of the sone scale, and were made with statistical control. The nature of the sone scale near the absolute threshold is discussed. A review of previous work leads to a single set of data representing tolerably well the results of various authors
which may serve as a basis for future discussion of the standardisation of the phon-sone relation.
Document Type: Research Article
Publication date: 01 January 1953
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