The so-called Quality-of-the-Acoustics, QoA, is a commonly used descriptor of how we experience listening in performance spaces. Although the term is quite popular, particularly among non-acousticians, it is not well defined scientifically. A closer look shows that QoA is a complex and multi-layered issue. When analyzing or modelling the formation process of QoA, a variety of quality features have to be taken into account, whereby the actual relevance and salience of each of them is situation- and user-specific. In the first part of the article, the architecture of a general conceptual model of the processes involved in the formation of aural quality at large is presented, and an adequate system of layers of reference with respect to QoA is identified, whereby aspects of psycho-acoustics, perceptual psychology, physics, and communication science are considered. Effort is put into an attempt to discuss the different aspects of aural quality in a unified way, so that the general concept does not change due to specific applications or specific listeners, rather, it is only the set of references that has to be adapted specifically to a particular application. Some problems regarding identification and specification of proper references are discussed in more detail. The issues of objectivity and validity are touched upon in this context. In the second part of the article, some specific aspects with respect to the QoA of performance spaces are reflected, namely, functional adequacy, typicality, listening tradition and aesthetics. The discussion reveals a cross-cultural, universal validity of the concepts considered, thus making them a useful framework for organizing and analyzing relevant features of QoA in a broad range of performance spaces from the ancient ages up to modern times. The last part deals with current efforts to enable computer-aided instrumental evaluation and assessment of QoA.
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