Tragic for so many reasons. Thank you for taking a stand.

I'm with you on this one!

A number of things happen in loud restaurants. The Lombard effect kicks in (amplifying the noise even more), alcohol consumption increases (triggering the "cocktail effect" that dulls lower frequency hearing), food is perceived as less flavorful, & at these dB levels, temporary hearing loss.

I think it would be difficult to have an immersive sonic environment that wouldn't overwhelm/disturb other ears in the vicinity - particularly if game play was meant to amplify arousal/cortisol/adrenaline levels.

There are some consumer facing models designed for home that I've tested & work surprisingly well - but to your point, that's user-side. From a design standpoint, one solution might be to create two user selected audio program options: one with basic functional sound only & one more immersive.

Hyper directional speakers might be an option if headphones can't be used

It’s an attempt to compete with the novelty of NotebookLM’s “podcast” generator. ElevenLabs has some of the best AI-generated voices in the business in my opinion, but from the demos I’ve heard of this podcast generator, they have a way to go before beating NotebookLM.

Hey, @actualbenfolds.bsky.social! Glad to see you here! We need to get Joe Costa to make the jump! 😏

There are a ton of #MusicScience peeps here, too. You'd dig that community - along with the #MusicTherapy practioners and advocates.

Welcome to the neighborhood!

In that case, try Freemans (www.freemansrestaurant.com)

I saw someone mention Thai Diner - which is also a great option if you enjoy Thai.

If you'd like something a bit more French with live Jazz on the side, Le Gratin offers a delightful Sunday brunch: legratinnyc.com