Auditory filter shapes at low center frequencies

Abstract

Auditory-filter shapes were estimated in normally hearing subjects for signal frequencies (fs) of 100, 200, 400, and 800 Hz using the notched-noise method [R. D. Patterson and I. Nimmo-Smith, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 67, 229-245 (1980)]. Two noise bands, each 0.4fs wide, were used; they were placed both symmetrically and asymmetrically about the signal frequency to allow the measurement of filter shape and asymmetry. Two overall noise levels were used: 77 and 87 dB SPL. In deriving the shapes of the auditory filters, account was taken of the nonflat frequency response of the Sennheiser HD424 earphone, and also of the frequency-dependent attenuation produced by the middle ear. The auditory filters were asymmetric; the upper skirt was steeper than the lower skirt. The asymmetry tended to be greater at the higher noise level. The equivalent rectangular bandwidths (ERBs) of the filters at the lower noise level had average values of 36, 47, 87, and 147 Hz for values of fs of 100, 200, 400, and 800 Hz, respectively. The standard deviations of the ERBs across subjects were typically about 10% of the ERB values. The signal-to-masker ratio at the output of the auditory filter required to achieve threshold increased markedly with decreasing fs.