Discrimination of transient signals having identical energy spectra.

Abstract

Pairs of waveforms having identical energy spectra were generated using a technique developed by Huffman [IRE Trans. IT8, S10–S16 (1962)]. A pair of such waveforms differ only in their phase spectra. The discriminability of such waveforms was measured under various conditions. The total duration of the waveforms was varied as well as the nature of the differences in their phase spectra. The results of these experiments suggest that the ear can discriminate differences in temporal order as small as 2.5 msec. In later experiments this discriminability among pairs was studied when both waveforms were partially masked by noise. Some pairs can be discriminated when only 6 dB above their masked threshold.