Room acoustic transition time based on reflection overlap

A transition time is defined based on the temporal overlap of reflected pulses in room impulse responses. Assuming specular reflections only, the temporal distance between adjacent reflections, which is proportional to the volume of a room, is compared with the characteristic width of a pulse at time t, which is mainly controlled by the absorption characteristics of the boundary surfaces of the room.

Scattering, diffuse reflections, and diffraction, which facilitate the overlapping process, have not been taken into account. Measured impulse responses show that the transition occurs earlier in a room with nonuniform absorption and furniture than in a room that satisfies the underlying assumptions.