How the Color of a Theater Affects Sound Perception

Brighter colors lead to a warmer ‘tone,’ according to listeners.

Image stills from the various colors of concert halls that were tested on listeners. Credit: Drouzas et al.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 24, 2026 — Live music can engage more than just one sense, despite it being an auditory medium. Lighting and visual effects can enhance the listening experience, but it is unclear if they can also affect the impression of the sound.

In JASA, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, researchers from Germany’s Technical University of Berlin found that the color of a concert hall has an impact on the sound perception of…click to read more

From: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Article: The influence of the color design of auditoriums on room acoustic impression
DOI: 10.1121/10.0042275

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A Hearing Test for the World’s Rarest Sea Turtle

Little is known about how sensitive the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle is to human noises.

sea turtle

Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered sea turtles on the planet, residing in the highly trafficked eastern and Gulf coasts of North America. Understanding how the noise produced by human activities affects them can help inform conservation efforts. Credit: Instigator/Shanna Stawicki Photography

WASHINGTON, Feb. 3, 2026 — Kemp’s ridley sea turtles are among the most endangered species of sea turtles in the world. They reside along the east and Gulf coasts of North America, alongside some of the world’s most active shipping lanes. While the threats from fishing, pollution, and vessel collisions are well understood, it is less clear how disruptive human-caused noise is to their survival.

In JASA, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, researchers from Duke University Marine Laboratory, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and North Carolina State University evaluated the…click to read more

From: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Article: Underwater hearing sensitivity of the Kemp’s ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempii)
DOI: 10.1121/10.0041867

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Looking Beyond Speech Recognition To Evaluate Cochlear Implants

Sound quality from cochlear implants plays a much larger role in daily functioning and well-being.

Cochlear Implants NIH

An illustration of a cochlear implant from the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders at the National Institutes of Health. Credit: NIH This image is a work of the National Institutes of Health, part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, taken or made as part of an employee’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain. (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cochlear_implant.jpg)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 14, 2025 – More than a million people around the world rely on cochlear implants (CIs) to hear. CI effectiveness is generally evaluated through speech recognition tests, and despite how widespread they are, CI sound quality is typically not considered an indicator of users’ quality of life.

In JASA Express Letters, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, researchers from Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Ohio State University evaluated the relationships between sound quality, speech recognition, and…click to read more

From: JASA Express Letters
Article: Sound quality, not speech recognition, explains cochlear implant-related quality of life outcomes
DOI: 10.1121/10.0039069

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Tracking the Evolution of Taylor Swift’s Dialect

The pop star and her years of recorded interviews offer a glimpse into the shifting nature of speech patterns.

Taylor Swift performing during her Eras tour (credit: Maura Shapiro), with vocal frequency analysis overlaid (credit: Miski Mohamed and Matthew Winn).

Taylor Swift performing during her Eras tour (credit: Maura Shapiro), with vocal frequency analysis overlaid (credit: Miski Mohamed and Matthew Winn).

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2025 – Taylor Swift is one of the biggest pop singers in history, influencing millions of fans with her music. Thanks to years of recorded interviews, she is also influencing how we understand the ways that people adopt accents and regional dialects.

In JASA, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, a pair of researchers from the University of Minnesota analyzed years of…click to read more

From: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Article: Acoustic analysis of Taylor Swift’s dialect changes across different eras of her career
DOI: 10.1121/10.0039052

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How To Find a Cryptic Animal: Recording the Elusive Beaked Whale in the Foz do Amazonas Basin

While finding the creatures takes a lot of work, the results are worth it.

A beaked whale sighting from the researchers’ field study in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. Credit: Machado et al.

A beaked whale sighting from the researchers’ field study in the Foz do Amazonas Basin. Credit: Machado et al.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 9, 2025 – Whale watching is a popular pastime on coastlines around the world. Cetaceans like blue whales, humpbacks, and orcas can be seen in the wild, and their characteristics are well categorized in science and popular culture. Other cetaceans, however, are less outgoing, preferring to stay out of the limelight.

Beaked whales are considered one of the least understood mammals in the world, which is due to their cryptic…click to read more

From: The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America
Article: Finding beaked whales in the Foz do Amazonas Basin: Visual and acoustic records of a deep diving cetacean
DOI: 10.1121/10.0038973

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A Twangy Timbre Cuts Through the Noise

Among loud noise, a brassy and bright voice can help speakers be understood.

A study by Tsai et al. showed that twangy, female voices are best understood amongst plane and train sounds. Credit: AIP

A study by Tsai et al. showed that twangy, female voices are best understood amongst plane and train sounds. Credit: AIP

WASHINGTON, July 29, 2025 — Twangy voices are a hallmark of country music and many regional accents. However, this speech type, often described as “brassy” and “bright,” can also be used to get a message across in a noisy environment.

In JASA Express Letters, published on behalf of the Acoustical Society of America by AIP Publishing, researchers from Indiana University found that it was easier to understand twangy female voices compared to neutral voices when…click to read more

From: JASA Express Letters
Article: How vocal timbre impacts word identification and listening effort in traffic-shaped noises
DOI: 10.1121/10.0037043

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