Yep. What a coincidence - ordered it just yesterday, having read the 2nd and 3rd edition.Yes, 4th edition now.
Dr. Toole's 4th Edition Book is Coming! (Discount)
I don't know about you but I am quite anxious to get my hands on the much expended 4th edition of Dr. Toole's book: https://www.routledge.com/Sound-Reproduction-The-Acoustics-and-Psychoacoustics-of-Loudspeakers-Rooms-and-Headphones/Toole-Olive-Welti/p/book/9781032761930 Sound Reproduction...
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Dr. Toole Nominated [Now Appointed] for Order of Canada!
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Dr. Toole certainly is responsible for pioneering research and scientific measurement as an important aspect of audio manufacturing and product evaluation. Everyone here at ASR should be thrilled to see him recognized for his work. Hooray!
Bigger than Canada in the World Cup. Congratulations Dr. Toole.
Congratulations on being nominated to join the rare and distinguished ranks of fellow Canadians Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, and Neil Peart. @Floyd Toole, you are indeed the Rock Star of the Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms.
Rex Anderson
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Email from Floyd:
Hello all,
It is a truly humbling experience for me to be a recipient of this honour. Thank you John Quaroni, my old NRC colleague, for initiating and guiding the process, and to my audio industry colleagues who obviously provided positive input to it. I am most appreciative.
The lifetime of effort this appointment recognizes was stimulated by the pragmatic recognition, 60 years ago, that the loudspeaker industry needed some scientific input. At the time there was no universally accepted technical objective for loudspeaker performance. Subjective opinions provided unreliable guidance, and as a result sound quality varied enormously. The key to the successful research was the development of experimental methods that revealed consistent patterns of preference in subjective opinions expressed by listeners in blind evaluations and to use them as means to identify relevant technical measurements. The facilities of the National Research Council of Canada for subjective and objective evaluations made the research possible and provided a product development basis for the developing and now internationally recognized Canadian loudspeaker industry.
Decades of investigations, which continued during my years at Harman International in California, led to a refined understanding of the psychoacoustic relations between what we measure and what we hear. Now, it is possible to predict with remarkable confidence how loudspeakers sound in typical listening rooms by a visual inspection of a set of technical measurements. This set of anechoic data, called the “spinorama” has been incorporated into a standard used throughout the international loudspeaker industry. Sound quality in all loudspeakers, from tiny “smart” speakers through TV sound bars, home HIFi and home-theater loudspeakers to recording studio monitor loudspeakers is becoming more consistent and more consistently good. The detailed story is in: “Sound Reproduction, The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones”, 4th edition, Routledge, 2026, authored by me with input from two of my long-term research colleagues Sean Olive and Todd Welti. My thanks to them, Allan Devantier, Peter Schuck and others who contributed to the work along the way. It could not have happened without the financial support and comprehensive facilities provided by the National Research Council of Canada and Harman International Industries, both of whom allowed the results of the research to be published and presented for the scientific community and the entire world, including competitors, to see. It is gratifying evidence of respect for and the importance of scientific research.
Most of all, it is good to still be alive at 88, to have a wonderful wife and so many friends.
Cheers,
Floyd
Order of Canada Appointee – June 26, 2026
Hello all,
It is a truly humbling experience for me to be a recipient of this honour. Thank you John Quaroni, my old NRC colleague, for initiating and guiding the process, and to my audio industry colleagues who obviously provided positive input to it. I am most appreciative.
The lifetime of effort this appointment recognizes was stimulated by the pragmatic recognition, 60 years ago, that the loudspeaker industry needed some scientific input. At the time there was no universally accepted technical objective for loudspeaker performance. Subjective opinions provided unreliable guidance, and as a result sound quality varied enormously. The key to the successful research was the development of experimental methods that revealed consistent patterns of preference in subjective opinions expressed by listeners in blind evaluations and to use them as means to identify relevant technical measurements. The facilities of the National Research Council of Canada for subjective and objective evaluations made the research possible and provided a product development basis for the developing and now internationally recognized Canadian loudspeaker industry.
Decades of investigations, which continued during my years at Harman International in California, led to a refined understanding of the psychoacoustic relations between what we measure and what we hear. Now, it is possible to predict with remarkable confidence how loudspeakers sound in typical listening rooms by a visual inspection of a set of technical measurements. This set of anechoic data, called the “spinorama” has been incorporated into a standard used throughout the international loudspeaker industry. Sound quality in all loudspeakers, from tiny “smart” speakers through TV sound bars, home HIFi and home-theater loudspeakers to recording studio monitor loudspeakers is becoming more consistent and more consistently good. The detailed story is in: “Sound Reproduction, The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers, Rooms and Headphones”, 4th edition, Routledge, 2026, authored by me with input from two of my long-term research colleagues Sean Olive and Todd Welti. My thanks to them, Allan Devantier, Peter Schuck and others who contributed to the work along the way. It could not have happened without the financial support and comprehensive facilities provided by the National Research Council of Canada and Harman International Industries, both of whom allowed the results of the research to be published and presented for the scientific community and the entire world, including competitors, to see. It is gratifying evidence of respect for and the importance of scientific research.
Most of all, it is good to still be alive at 88, to have a wonderful wife and so many friends.
Cheers,
Floyd
Order of Canada Appointee – June 26, 2026
MattHooper
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Yay! Congratulations Floyd Toole !!
- A Proud Canadian
- A Proud Canadian
Congratulations to Dr. Floyd Toole,
I hope this nomination skyrockets the sales of his 4th Edition.
OT: I wonder what the PolyMarket wager would be; whether Dr. Toole is going to replace his Revel Salon 2s.
I hope this nomination skyrockets the sales of his 4th Edition.
OT: I wonder what the PolyMarket wager would be; whether Dr. Toole is going to replace his Revel Salon 2s.
Rex Anderson
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It was pointed out to me by a Canadian that he was APPOINTED to the Order of Canada.
Floyd Toole was appointed as a Member (C.M.) of the Order of Canada - the nation's second highest civilian honor.
The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation.
“The Order of Canada recognizes those whose contributions help us see our country and our place in the world with greater clarity and purpose. These appointees, from diverse backgrounds and fields, reflect the talent and determination that shape Canada’s future. At a time of profound global change, their achievements highlight the strength of Canadians and the values we represent to the world. Together, they remind us that building our country’s future is a shared effort that requires ambition and long-term commitment. I am honoured, for the first time as governor general, to extend my sincere congratulations to all new appointees.”
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada
Floyd Toole was appointed as a Member (C.M.) of the Order of Canada - the nation's second highest civilian honor.
The Order of Canada is one of our country’s highest honours. It recognizes people across all sectors of society who have made extraordinary and sustained contributions to our nation.
“The Order of Canada recognizes those whose contributions help us see our country and our place in the world with greater clarity and purpose. These appointees, from diverse backgrounds and fields, reflect the talent and determination that shape Canada’s future. At a time of profound global change, their achievements highlight the strength of Canadians and the values we represent to the world. Together, they remind us that building our country’s future is a shared effort that requires ambition and long-term commitment. I am honoured, for the first time as governor general, to extend my sincere congratulations to all new appointees.”
Her Excellency the Right Honourable Louise Arbour, Governor General of Canada
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Rex Anderson
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He sold his house in California and moved back to Canada. The Salon2 system stayed with the house in California.Congratulations to Dr. Floyd Toole,
I hope this nomination skyrockets the sales of his 4th Edition.
OT: I wonder what the PolyMarket wager would be; whether Dr. Toole is going to replace his Revel Salon 2s.
I think he got Revel F226Be's for his new place. I'll post again when I get more info from him.
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Tom C
Major Contributor
Congratulations to Dr. Toole! This is a well deserved honor.
Newman
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Yes, he was talking on ASR about a year ago of his impending move to smaller digs that suited his phase of life, and the plan to downsize the audio setup.
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quattro98
Senior Member
Congratulations and thank you for your work to demystify good sound and provide a guide to for the consumer.
Floyd Toole
Addicted to Fun and Learning
Audio Luminary
Technical Expert
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Hello everybody, and thank you for your kind words. I am feeling that it has been a life well spent. It is not over, but the hard work has been done and it continues to be a pleasure to share opinions and knowledge with members of the ASR.
Both Rex Anderson and Newman are correct about my changed living situation. I left a large complicated Atmos media room/home theater, pool, garden, etc. in a house in California, to simplify life in a large luxury condominium in Ottawa, Canada, where my new wife and I lived for many years, and where we have numerous friends and memories. It is "home".
My present media room provides gratifying entertainment, while respecting the privacy of our neighbours who are only 10 inches of reinforced concrete away. So, cinema sound levels are no more, but as it turns out age has reduced the attractions of very loud sounds. My hearing is not what it used to be, tinnitus is a constant accompaniment, but I function well without hearing aids - noisy restaurants remain a challenge though. As I often point out, binaural hearing degrades along with, or even independent of, conventional hearing threshold shift. The judgment of sound quality is long past. I still have opinions, but they are my own, not for sharing.
Life is now music, movies, books, sharing space with interesting people, and as much travel as our bodies will allow for as long as possible.
Cheers, Floyd
Both Rex Anderson and Newman are correct about my changed living situation. I left a large complicated Atmos media room/home theater, pool, garden, etc. in a house in California, to simplify life in a large luxury condominium in Ottawa, Canada, where my new wife and I lived for many years, and where we have numerous friends and memories. It is "home".
My present media room provides gratifying entertainment, while respecting the privacy of our neighbours who are only 10 inches of reinforced concrete away. So, cinema sound levels are no more, but as it turns out age has reduced the attractions of very loud sounds. My hearing is not what it used to be, tinnitus is a constant accompaniment, but I function well without hearing aids - noisy restaurants remain a challenge though. As I often point out, binaural hearing degrades along with, or even independent of, conventional hearing threshold shift. The judgment of sound quality is long past. I still have opinions, but they are my own, not for sharing.
Life is now music, movies, books, sharing space with interesting people, and as much travel as our bodies will allow for as long as possible.
Cheers, Floyd
I was born in Ottawa and continue to live in the National Capitol Region many years later. I have driven past the original location of the NRC building where much of his work began. I'm glad that the Canadian government supported this research. I wonder if the government would do so today? Hopefully, but you never know.
Welcome back. As a lifelong Ottawa resident who has known of your work for many years it is wonderful to see you and your years of dedication to science honoured in this so richly deserved manner.
I've recently moved to Almonte about a 45 minute drive from Ottawa where another celebrated Canadian invented the game of basketball. But I am in and through Ottawa all the time. As I type this I'm actually eating breakfast at Carleton University with my daughter.
Congratulations on your Appointment.
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