Effect of room noise and circuit noise on speech-quality ratings over operator-type headsets

Abstract

Categorical judgments of communication quality over operator-type headsets were obtained as a function of room noise, circuit noise, and speech volume. The room noise, recorded at an airline reservation center, was similar to wide-band pink noise and consisted primarily of voice babble and teletype-writer noise. It was played back in the test room at levels from 55 to 73 dBA with the spectrum matched to that of the original room noise. The circuit noise, ranging from 37 to 76 dB SPL filtered by a telephone network, extended over a band from 300 to 3300 Hz. The speech was also within this band and ranged in level from 85 to 97 dB SPL. The stimuli used were PB sentences and all speech/circuit noise ratios were at high intelligibility levels. The data indicate that both room noise and circuit noise degrade communication quality ratings. The relative effects of the room noise on the headset ear and the uncovered ear were different for the two headsets compared.