No credibility for bad sound.
Recent research released by the University of Southern California and the Australian National University has proven what many of us intuitively knew.
We don’t like events and presentations with poor audio.
But it goes even further than just a mild distaste or revulsion from the content.
We actually don’t believe the person speaking when sound is bad.
That’s right, your credibility will go out the window if your sound system is poor, and grating on people like having a cactus in their ear. Metaphorically speaking anyway.
Here’s an excerpt of findings that originally appeared on usc.edu.au news article:
For the first study, the scientists selected two YouTube conference talk videos about engineering and physics to show to 97 participants. Using iMovie, the scientists altered the sound quality of the recordings and trimmed them to two- or three-minute segments.
Then, they showed one video with good sound quality and the other with poor sound. Afterward, the participants were asked to rate the talks, from 1-5, worst to best on questions about the talk and the speaker.
“When the video was difficult to hear, viewers thought the talk was worse, the speaker less intelligent and less likeable and the research less important,” the scientists wrote.
For the second experiment with 99 other participants, the scientists altered the sound quality of two NPR Science Friday interviews, one with a geneticist and another with a physicist, and shortened the recordings to two-three minutes.
“As soon as we reduced the audio quality, all of a sudden, the scientists and their research lost credibility,” Eryn Newman, the co-author of the study said.
At DIB Australia, we take the quality of our visuals and audio very seriously.
We make sure we measure the space we’re working in. Taking note of hard surfaces, and we
recommend speakers, microphones and amplifiers that are fit for the purpose for which you attend.
This includes recording and streaming equipment.
You can be sure we’ll deliver the best sound and vision possible for your budget.
Turns out good sound is far more important than just a gut reaction of whether we like it or not.
And credibility is so important in the success of our education, learning programs and sales presentations. Turns out there really is no credibility for bad sound.
If your school or organisation is suffering from poor sound in your installation, give us a call.
Email info@dibaustralia.com.au or call (03) 9457 4800.