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Updated: Jun 28, 2026
07:52
An Automated System for Sound Localization Testing in Hearing-Impaired Listeners
Published on: March 13, 2026
Reducing computational complexity in adaptive sound zones with online room impulse response estimation
José Cadavid1, Martin Bo Møller2, Toon van Waterschoot3
1Department of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University, Aalborg 9000, Denmark.
The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
|June 26, 2026
Summary
A new block-based approach significantly reduces computational costs for adaptive sound zones by processing audio in blocks instead of samples. This method enhances efficiency for dynamic audio control systems.
Area of Science:
- Acoustics and Signal Processing
- Computational Audio
- Room Acoustics
Background:
- Sound zone technology enables localized audio playback using loudspeaker arrays and microphone sampling.
- Adaptive filtering methods allow simultaneous acquisition of room impulse responses (RIRs) and control filter calculation for dynamic sound zones.
- Current sample-based implementations are computationally intensive, limiting real-time applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a computationally efficient block-based implementation for adaptive sound zone systems.
- To reduce the computational complexity of dynamic sound zone rendering.
- To maintain or improve the performance of sound zones while decreasing processing demands.
Main Methods:
- A block-based processing approach was implemented, handling multiple samples per iteration.
- Room impulse response (RIR) estimates were truncated to further reduce computational load.
- Less computationally demanding adaptive filter update algorithms were employed.
- Frequency domain implementations were explored for additional complexity reduction.
Main Results:
- The block-based processing reduced computational complexity by over 90% compared to sample-based methods.
- A trade-off was observed, with increased processing time required to achieve target acoustic performance.
- The proposed scheme demonstrated successful adaptation to system changes.
- Inaccurate RIR estimations did not impede sound zone rendering.
Conclusions:
- Block-based processing offers a significant computational advantage for adaptive sound zones.
- The method provides a viable solution for real-time, dynamic audio control.
- Further optimization is possible through frequency domain processing.
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