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Acoustics

Acoustics is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on acoustics science and engineering, published quarterly online by MDPI.

Quartile Ranking JCR - Q3 (Acoustics)

All Articles (410)

Accurate spatial sound localization is critical in flight simulators for enhancing situational awareness and pilot training effectiveness, particularly for diagnosing severe faults like engine surge which emit directional sound cues. However, existing spatial audio systems are primarily optimized for a single central listening position, failing to provide consistent localization accuracy for pilots seated in naturally off-center positions within the cockpit. To bridge this gap, this paper proposes a novel compensation method incorporating near-field loudspeakers. A comprehensive mathematical model for multiple off-center listening points is established based on acoustic velocity and energy vector theory. We further formulate a dual-phase optimization framework: a multi-objective model employing the NSGA-II algorithm to Pareto-optimize the trade-off between minimizing localization error and maximizing spatial stability, followed by a maximin model that guarantees robustness during head movements. A formal listening experiment demonstrates that the proposed optimized design significantly improves both localization accuracy and stability over conventional uniform layouts, thereby enhancing the fidelity and safety of flight simulation training.

31 October 2025

Loudspeaker distribution for optimized model, a and b denote two off-center listening positions; 
  
    s
    1
  
–
  
    s
    m
  
 are the outer-ring loudspeakers, and 
  
    s
    11
  
–
  
    s
    
      1
      n
    
  
, 
  
    s
    21
  
–
  
    s
    
      2
      n
    
  
 are the near-field loudspeakers.

The accurate diagnosis of acoustic defects and the precise assessment of the performance of building components are highly dependent on massive amounts of sampling data. In this study, we try to combine the compressed sensing theory with the nearfield acoustic holographic sound insulation measurement method and introduce a noise reduction algorithm so as to realize the sound pressure distribution accuracy similar to that of the conventional sampling under low-density data conditions. Numerical simulation results show that the reconstruction error of the method proposed in this paper is only 8.21% higher than that of the complete sampling under the condition of 20% sampling rate, and the reconstruction error is only 2.50% higher than that of the complete sampling under the condition of 40% sampling rate. The reconstruction error under 50% sampling rate and 6.65 dB SNR is only 4.81% higher than the complete sampling, which is basically consistent with the numerical simulation; the sound insulation is only 1 dB lower than that measured by the sound pressure method, and the acoustic defects of the components can basically be identified. The results of this study have a positive significance in simplifying the process of sound insulation measurement in most scenarios.

30 October 2025

Schematic diagram of the C-NAH method.
  • Systematic Review
  • Open Access

Virtual Reality Application in Evaluating the Soundscape in Urban Environment: A Systematic Review

  • Özlem Gök Tokgöz,
  • Margret Sibylle Engel and
  • Cherif Othmani
  • + 1 author

Urban soundscapes are complex due to the interaction of different sound sources and the influence of structures on sound propagation. Moreover, the dynamic nature of sounds over time and space adds to this complexity. Virtual reality (VR) has emerged as a powerful tool to simulate acoustic and visual environments, offering users an immersive sense of presence in controlled settings. This technology facilitates more accurate and predictive assessment of urban environments. It serves as a flexible tool for exploring, analyzing, and interpreting them under repeatable conditions. This study presents a systematic literature review focusing on research that integrates VR technology for the audiovisual reconstruction of urban environments. This topic remains relatively underrepresented in the existing literature. A total of 69 peer-reviewed studies were analyzed in this systematic review. The studies were classified according to research goals, selected urban environments, VR technologies used, technical equipment, and experimental setups. In this study, the relationship between the tools used in urban VR representations is examined, and experimental setups are discussed from both technical and perceptual perspectives. This paper highlights existing challenges and opportunities in using VR to assess soundscapes and offers practical insights for future applications of VR in urban environments.

17 October 2025

PRISMA flow diagram study selection process. * indicates reporting the number of records identified from each database/register; ** indicates records excluded by human vs. automation tools.

We present a novel formulation of the Rayleigh–Plesset equation to describe stable gas bubble dynamics in viscoelastic media, using bubble volume variation, rather than radius, as the primary variable of the resulting nonlinear ordinary differential equation. This formulation incorporates the linear Kelvin–Voigt model as the constitutive relation for the surrounding fluid, capturing both viscous and elastic contributions, to track the oscillations of a gas bubble subjected to an ultrasonic field over time. The proposed model is solved numerically, subjected to a convergence analysis, and validated by comparisons with theoretical and experimental results from the literature. We systematically investigate the nonlinear oscillations of a single spherical gas bubble in various viscoelastic environments, each modeled with varying levels of rheological complexity. The influence of medium properties, specifically shear elasticity and viscosity, is examined in detail across both linear and nonlinear regimes. This work improves our understanding of stable cavitation dynamics by emphasizing key differences from Newtonian fluid behavior, resonance frequency, phase shifts, and oscillation damping. Elasticity has a pronounced effect in low-viscosity media, whereas viscosity emerges as the dominant factor modulating the amplitude of oscillations in both the linear and nonlinear regimes. The model equation developed here provides a robust tool for analyzing how viscoelastic properties affect bubble dynamics, contributing to improved the prediction and control of stable cavitation phenomena in complex media.

16 October 2025

Box summary of radius and volume-based formulations and their main assumptions.

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Acoustics, Soundscapes and Sounds as Intangible Heritage
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Acoustics, Soundscapes and Sounds as Intangible Heritage

Editors: Lidia Alvarez-Morales, Margarita Díaz-Andreu
Historical Acoustics
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Historical Acoustics

Relationships between People and Sound over Time
Editors: Francesco Aletta, Jian Kang

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Acoustics - ISSN 2624-599XCreative Common CC BY license