HEAD acoustics ACQUA Adds Listening Effort Prediction Option

With LEAP (Listening Effort Prediction from Acoustic Parameters) now integrated into ACQUA 6.1.100, HEAD acoustics offers an optional tool for on-site prediction of the perceived listening effort. The software predicts the perceived listening effort of a listener when hearing an impaired speech signal without the need for an undisturbed reference signal. This makes it possible to carry out measurements more efficiently under laboratory conditions and in real-world applications.
 
ACQUA from HEAD acoustics is a reliable software platform for the complete speech and audio quality measurement chain, from generating complex excitation signals through automated measurement and analysis of signals to secure storage and documentation. With ACQUA, users can effortlessly and comprehensively conduct measurements for any transmission scenario, such as VoLTE, USB, A2B, and Bluetooth, or measure devices such as mobile phones, hands-free terminals, ANC headphones, ICC systems, and smart speakers with ease. With the ACQUA release 6.1.100, HEAD Acoustics added substantial improvements to the extensive feature set.

For acoustic test scenarios where no reference signal is available, Listening Effort Prediction from Acoustic Parameters (LEAP) is the single-ended algorithm to predict the listening effort of a degraded speech signal. LEAP evaluates perceived listening effort in situations where a clean speech signal is not available, e.g., synthetic speech from smart speakers, vehicle navigation or text-to-speech engines. Additionally, LEAP is applicable where a clean speech signal is technically available, but is overly difficult to obtain, e.g., in announcements via loudspeaker at train stations, airports, and similar places.

The software solution developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT-HSA categorizes listening effort using the Effort Scale Categorical Units (ESCU), which range from 1 (no listening effort) to 14 (only interference). Examples of situations in which no undisturbed speech signal is available include synthetic speech from smart speakers, smartphone assistance systems and vehicle navigation systems. Another field of application is scenarios in which, from a technical point of view, a reference signal could be used, but implementation would be very complex, for example in the case of public address systems at train stations or airports during operation. HEAD acoustics GmbH is one of the world's leading companies offering holistic sound and vibration analysis solutions. In the telecom sector, the company enjoys global recognition due to its expertise and pioneering role in developing hardware and software for measuring, analyzing, and optimizing voice and audio quality, as well as customer-specific solutions and services. HEAD acoustics' range of services covers sound and vibration engineering for technical products, investigation of environmental noise, speech quality engineering, training, and support.
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