Examining the use of a time-varying loudness algorithm for quantifying characteristics of nonlinearly propagated noise (L).

A previous letter by Gee et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 121, EL1-EL7 (2007)] revealed likely shortcomings in using common, stationary (long-term) spectrum-based measures to quantify the perception of nonlinearly propagated noise. Here, the Glasberg and Moore [J. Audio Eng. Soc. 50, 331-342 (2002)] algorithm for time-varying loudness is investigated. Their short-term loudness, when applied to a shock-containing broadband signal and a phase-randomized signal with equivalent long-term spectrum, does not show a significant difference in loudness between the signals. Further analysis and discussion focus on the possible utility of the instantaneous loudness and the need for additional investigation in this area.