Annoyance of Low Frequency Noise (LFN) in the laboratory assessed by LFN-sufferers and non-sufferers

In a series of listening tests, test subjects listened to eight different environmental low frequency noises to evaluate their loudness and annoyance. The noises were continuous noise with and without tones, intermittent noise, music, traffic noise and low frequency noises with an impulsive character.

The noises were presented at L-Acq levels of 20, 27.5 and 35 dB. The main group of test subjects (the reference group) comprised eighteen young persons with normal hearing. A special group of four subjects who had reported annoyance due to low frequency noise in their homes was also included. It was found that the special group generally assessed the annoyance of the noises much higher, especially the annoyance at night.