Question

State whether given statement is True or False
It is usually preferable to have a longer reverberation time in an auditorium for music than one for speeches.

• A. True
• B. False

Answer 1

The correct option is B False

The reverberant sound in an auditorium dies away with time as the sound energy is absorbed by multiple interactions with the surfaces of the room. In a more reflective room, it will take longer for the sound to die away and the room is said to be 'live'. In a very absorbent room, the sound will die away quickly and the room will be described as acoustically 'dead'. But the time for reverberation to completely die away will depend upon how loud the sound was to begin with, and will also depend upon the acuity of the hearing of the observer.
The desirable range of reverberation times for general purpose auditoriums is about 1.5 to 2.5 seconds. Longer reverberation times are sometimes desirable for music and shorter reverberation times are better if the auditorium is to be used for speech only.
Rooms used for speech typically need a shorter reverberation time so that speech can be understood more clearly. If the reflected sound from one syllable is still heard when the next syllable is spoken, it may be difficult to understand what was said. On the other hand the reverberation time is too short, tonal balance and loudness may suffer.
Basic factors that affect a room's reverberation time include the size and shape of the enclosure as well as the materials used in the construction of the room. Every object placed within the enclosure can also affect this reverberation time, including people and their belongings.
Hence, a longer reverberation time is preferred in an auditorium for music than one for speeches.