Psychoacoustic Theory

Psychoacoustic theory explores how humans perceive and interpret sound, focusing on the relationship between physical sound waves and our auditory perception. It examines factors like pitch, loudness, and timbre, as well as how we distinguish different sounds in noisy environments. This understanding informs the design of audio processing techniques—such as compression and noise reduction—that optimize sound quality and reduce perceptible noise or data without affecting listener experience. Essentially, psychoacoustic theory reveals how our brain perceives sound, enabling more efficient and natural audio technology.