This thesis examines the alignment of a subwoofer and a main loudspeaker in a sound system. It first presents the theoretical foundations of sound propagation, frequency division, loudness perception, and phase and time relationships. This provides the knowledge needed to understand the practical measurements and the differences between the two procedures.
The practical work compares a rapid listening-based procedure with a measurement-assisted procedure using Smaart. Three sound engineers with different levels of prior knowledge and experience independently performed the listening-based alignment. At 80~Hz, they matched the perceived loudness of the loudspeakers and searched for the quietest setting by inverting polarity and adjusting delay. Their selected delays were 3.0, 3.9, and 3.7~ms. The measurement-assisted setting was 3.9~ms, matching participant 2. Because the procedures used different receiver heights, the comparison represents practical working methods rather than a controlled test at the same position.
The comparison shows that listening provides a rapid approximate setting at a chosen frequency but not a wider view of the system response. Smaart provides more information and supports better-documented decisions. Because only screenshots were retained, the broadband comparison remained qualitative. The approaches complement each other: measurements support the technical adjustment, while listening provides the final evaluation of the sound.
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