# Esthetics — VoiceNet dimension guide

*Category:* Spectral & Timbral · *code:* `vn_ESTH` · *slot:* 67

This dimension measures the overall attractiveness or pleasantness of the sound. Merge the `__high` / `__low` LoRA from `laion/moss-voicenet-dimension-loras` at 25/50/75/100/125%. Costs are shifts vs. the 24-sample neutral baseline.

**TL;DR.** **Esthetics** controls the overall attractiveness or pleasantness of the sound. The **__high** LoRA shifts it +0.10 at 125% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.09); the **__low** LoRA shifts it -0.25 at 100% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.31). The **__low** direction is the stronger, more reliable knob here.

## ▲ HIGH — Esthetics __high

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.464 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.529 | +0.07 | -0.03 | -0.06 | +0.06 |
| 50% | 0.478 | +0.01 | -0.02 | -0.08 | +0.02 |
| 75% | 0.520 | +0.06 | -0.05 | -0.03 | +0.08 |
| 100% | 0.477 | +0.01 | -0.07 | +0.01 | +0.05 |
| 125% ★ | 0.567 | +0.10 | -0.08 | -0.09 | +0.09 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Contemplation (+0.52), Emotional Numbness (+0.38), Concentration (+0.28); ↓ Confusion (-0.45), Doubt (-0.45), Impatience and Irritability (-0.43)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Whisper-Talk Style (+0.82), Recording Quality (+0.78), Smoothness (+0.74); ↓ Ranting/Angry Style (-0.61), Volatility (-0.45), Disfluency (-0.44)

Merging **Esthetics __high** pushes the dimension: at the recommended **125%** dose the measured Esthetics score moves from a 0.46 baseline to 0.57 (a +0.10 shift). The dose-response is mostly ordered but noisy between doses. That reach is a modest cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.09); across the board genuineness -0.08, burst-blend -0.09, speech quality +0.09. Emotionally it reads as Contemplation (r 0.52), Emotional Numbness (0.38) and Concentration (0.28), and it moves away from Confusion, Doubt and Impatience and Irritability. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Whisper-Talk Style (0.82), Recording Quality (0.78) and Smoothness (0.74), while pulling down Ranting/Angry Style, Volatility and Disfluency. Practical call: merge __high at **100–125%**; expect Contemplation and Whisper-Talk Style to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Contemplation bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Confusion to keep the esthetics shift without the side-effect.

## ▼ LOW — Esthetics __low

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.464 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.492 | +0.03 | -0.03 | -0.12 | +0.02 |
| 50% | 0.413 | -0.05 | -0.01 | -0.25 | -0.05 |
| 75% | 0.234 | -0.23 | +0.03 | -0.22 | -0.21 |
| 100% ★ | 0.217 | -0.25 | +0.01 | -0.31 | -0.22 |
| 125% | 0.248 | -0.22 | -0.02 | -0.32 | -0.22 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Contemplation (+0.77), Interest (+0.76), Affection (+0.75); ↓ Pain (-0.75), Distress (-0.71), Fear (-0.68)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Smoothness (+0.94), Recording Quality (+0.93), Whisper-Talk Style (+0.91); ↓ Disfluency (-0.76), Playful Style (-0.75), Dynamic Arc (-0.73)

Merging **Esthetics __low** pulls down the dimension: at the recommended **100%** dose the measured Esthetics score moves from a 0.46 baseline to 0.22 (a -0.25 shift). The dose-response is clean and monotonic — each step pushes the dimension further. That reach is a steep cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.31); across the board genuineness +0.01, burst-blend -0.31, speech quality -0.22. Emotionally it reads as Contemplation (r 0.77), Interest (0.76) and Affection (0.75), and it moves away from Pain, Distress and Fear. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Smoothness (0.94), Recording Quality (0.93) and Whisper-Talk Style (0.91), while pulling down Disfluency, Playful Style and Dynamic Arc. Practical call: merge __low at **75–100%**; expect Contemplation and Smoothness to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Contemplation bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Pain to keep the esthetics shift without the side-effect.

---
[← all dimensions](index.md) · [human/audio version](../../site/dims/ESTH.html)