This study presents an effective way to estimate the total sound power (TSP) of multiple loudspeakers. The TSP is associated with the average response of all loudspeakers in the whole room. This computation is useful for equalizing the loudspeakers and counteracting the adverse influences of the room in a global manner. The TSP is normally obtained with measurements on a large number of locations in the room. A simulation study presented in this paper suggests that in order to obtain an accurate TSP measurement, more than 36 microphone positions are needed. Previous studies have shown that the TSP of a single loudspeaker in the room can be estimated by using the near-field (NF) pressure and the velocity of the loudspeaker which can be obtained by different well-known methods. Typical audio reproduction with multiple subwoofers or full-range loudspeakers make use of ``bass management. This concept simultaneously plays back the same low-frequency content e.g. below 80-200 Hz over the single or multiple subwoofers/loudspeakers. In this study we propose a method to estimate and equalize the TSP produced by multiple loudspeakers with a minimum number of microphones, e.g., for two loudspeakers, using only two NF microphones, one attached to each loudspeaker. The estimation is performed by obtaining simultaneous or sequential measurements of the multiple loudspeakers and computing the correct summation of the NF pressure responses of each of the loudspeakers. Encouraging results were obtained in a standard listening room with commercially available loudspeakers, predicting the TSP from 40-200 Hz with an accuracy of 2.7 dB SD.
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