Frequency difference limens as a function of fundamental frequency and harmonic number

Abstract

Several studies have investigated the relation between the lowest harmonic present in a complex tone and fundamental frequency (F0) difference limens (F0DLs). It is generally assumed that F0DLs are smaller when lower harmonics are present and that the ability to discriminate small changes in F0 worsen as harmonic number increases. This worsening of performance has been attributed to a lack of peripherally resolved harmonics. This assumption was tested by measuring F0DLs for harmonic complexes where the lowest harmonic present in a twelve-harmonic complex tone varied from the 3rd to the 15th harmonic, with F0s varying from 30 Hz to 2000 Hz. The harmonics were presented in either sine or random phase and were embedded in threshold-equalizing noise. Aside from F0s between 100 and 400 Hz, performance did not follow the expected pattern of good performance with low-numbered (resolved) harmonics and poorer performance with high-numbered (unresolved) harmonics. At lower F0s, performance was relatively constant a...