Perceptual discrimination of very high frequency components in wide frequency range musical sound

Subjective evaluation tests on perceptual discrimination between musical sounds with and without very high frequency (above 20 kHz) components were conducted. To make a precise evaluation, the test system was designed to exclude any influence from very high frequency components in the audible frequency range. Moreover, a newly developed very wide frequency range microphone was used to record various sound stimuli that contained enough components in the very high frequency range. Tests showed that the subjects could discriminate between musical sounds with and without very high frequency components. This paper describes these subjective evaluations in terms of reproducing such very high frequency components in musical sound.