Readme for listening test file

You have successfully downloaded the test file from SoundExpert. The name of your zip file is a unique identificator of enclosed sound file. Please, keep it safe until you sent back your judgment to SoundExpert.

Sound file se_test.wav includes two samples of the same sound excerpt. One of them is a reference sample and the other is processed by device under test. You have no information either about order of samples or about device being tested.

The format of se_test.wav is uncompressed PCM 44100Hz 16bit Stereo, so you can use almost any player to listen to it. It is recommended to turn off all equalizations and sound enhancements in your player/sound card and set the volume to the level you normally listen your audio. The use of headphones is preferable unless you are the owner of professional or Hi-End audio installation.

You might need to listen the test file for several times until you can answer two questions:

  1. What sample - the first or the second, do you think, has degraded sound quality?
  2. What is the difference between the degraded and the reference samples:
    • imperceptible (5th grade)
    • perceptible but not annoying (4th grade)
    • slightly annoying (3d grade)
    • annoying (2nd grade)
    • very annoying (1st grade)

Tip. It's a good practice to download 5-7 test files at once, listen them all and guess your grades. By doing so you'll become familiar with the above five-grade impairment scale. Then you can grade them finally and send back your grades.

After you have made your judgment you can send it through the form on the right.

Enter the name of your zip file e.g... se_8725ef84.zip (better copy and paste)
What sample, do you think, has degraded sound quality?
 the first         the second
(if you can't distinguish - choose any)
What is the difference between the degraded and the reference samples:
 imperceptible (5th grade)
 perceptible but not annoying (4th grade)
 slightly annoying (3d grade)
 annoying (2nd grade)
 very annoying (1st grade)