Floyd Toole - Sound reproduction – art and science/opinions and facts
Why Hacker News recommends it
HN recommends it as a crash course on audio reproduction science, especially the finding that listeners reliably prefer more accurate speakers in blind tests.
What it is
Floyd Toole's CIRMMT distinguished lecture on the science of sound reproduction, drawing on decades of blind listening research. It covers what listeners prefer in loudspeakers and why measured accuracy and anechoic response matter.
Recommended by 4 HN commenters across 6 different months, 2019 to 2026.
What Hacker News said
Strong rec Humbly8967 · 2023-11 · on “Speaker Support in Asahi Linux”
This is actually a common misconception. In blind testing, the average listener reliably prefers the more accurate speaker. There is a talk [1] by Dr. Floyd Toole that is an excellent crash course on the science of sound reproduction and listener preference. [1] [this video]
Recommends 1kGarand · 2019-06 · on “DIY Amps: A Roadmap for Beginners (2017)”
False. Rigorous double blind a/b/c/d tests using real listeners has been performed, and the research has been published in peer reviewed journals since the 80's. What has happened is that most of the audiophile community saw research as a threat to their revenue streams and actively FUD around it. And the audio engineering community has simply moved on. Here is a talk that could be very informative. [this video] His book is worth a read as well.
Recommends lioeters · 2021-03 · on “Audio – Science in the Service of Art [pdf]”
It's an article written by Floyd E. Toole, Ph.D., who was Vice President - Acoustical Engineering at Harman International from 1991 until he retired in 2007. "His research focused primarily on the acoustics and psychoacoustics of sound reproduction. Most notably, he established methods for subjective and objective evaluations which have been used to clarify the relationships between technical measurements of loudspeakers and listeners’ perceptions." From [LINK] > ...there really is such a thing as being "good enough for rock and roll". Here's a lecture by the same author, given at CIRMMT Distinguished Lectures in the Science and Technology of Music. [this video] - Floyd Toole - Sound reproduction
Recommends Humbly8967 · 2025-04 · on “GPD Pocket 4 Speaker DSP: Configuring PipeWire so laptop speakers sound better”
FYI, when attempting to apply this to speakers, the anechoic frequency response is required. If you try to equalize for flat-in-room response, the results are terrible. See this video[1] for loads more information and context. [1] [this video]
Recommends Humbly8967 · 2025-10 · on “EQ: A video about all forms of equalizers”
EQing for a flat in room response is NOT ideal! Correcting a speaker requires measuring the *anechoic* response, and only the bass should be tuned to subtract the room's effect. This video [1] provides a crash course on science of audio reproduction. [1] [this video]
Recommends BoingBoomTschak · 2026-07 · on “24-bit/192kHz music downloads and why they make no sense”
No mention of Toole? Obligatory considering the subject, even if it's about acoustics and not digital audio: [LINK] And a talk by the author covering some of the material for those who prefer that: [this video]