PhonWert

PhonWert is a concept used in some contexts to quantify the perceived loudness of a sound. It is related to but distinct from physical measures like decibels (dB). While decibels measure sound pressure level, PhonWert aims to account for how humans perceive loudness, which is not a linear relationship with sound pressure.

The phon scale is an experimental psychoacoustic scale that attempts to represent perceived loudness. A sound with a loudness of X phons is perceived as equally loud as a pure tone at 1000 Hz with a sound pressure level of X dB. For example, a sound perceived as 40 phons would sound as loud as a 1000 Hz tone at 40 dB. This means that sounds at different frequencies but with the same phon value are perceived to have the same loudness.

This perception is influenced by factors such as frequency and the listener's hearing characteristics. At low frequencies, a higher sound pressure level is required to achieve the same perceived loudness as a tone at a mid-range frequency. Conversely, at very high frequencies, perceived loudness can also decrease relative to mid-range frequencies for the same sound pressure level. Therefore, PhonWert is a subjective measure that attempts to standardize subjective loudness judgments. It is primarily used in research settings and in the development of audio standards rather than in everyday sound measurement.