Further investigation of horizontal sound localization in noise

Abstract

The accuracy of sound localization suffers significantly in a noisy environment. Noise can have an impact on the binaural localization cues such as interaural time difference (ITD) and interaural level difference (ILD). This impact is not only related to the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), but also to the noise level. Therefore, it's crucial to understand how to describe binaural localization cues in noise. This study investigates the effect of noise level (ranging from 80 dB to 95 dB) and SNR (ranging from -15 dB to -5 dB) on the localization of horizontal sound sources at different azimuths. By analyzing the interaction between different binaural cues and localization accuracy in noise, the results demonstrate that there is a strong association between localization accuracy and interaural partial loudness difference. A follow-up experiment with modified ILD confirmed that the interaural partial loudness difference might more accurately reflect the auditory localization properties of the horizontal sound source in noise.