Relationship between localization acuity and spatial release from masking

Abstract

Spatial Release from Masking (SRM) is defined as the ability to obtain better Speech Recognition Thresholds (SRTs) when the masking sounds are spatially separated from the target sound. Localization refers our ability identify the direction of the sound and localization acuity is measured as the difference in locations between the actual and perceived locations. SRM and localization share many common cues on how the task is performed. Here, we present data from young normal hearing on SRM task using Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) sentences and localization acuity using three different noise Gaussian white noise bursts: low pass (1/3 octave wide centered at 500 Hz), high pass (1/3 octave wide centered at 3150 Hz), and broadband (200–5000 Hz). Thirteen loudspeakers (Orb Mod 1), separated by 15 deg in the frontal plane were used to present the stimuli. Initial analyses of the results indicated that, as expected, all the listeners obtained substantial spatial release from masking consistent with the literature, filtering the broadband noise had little effect on localization acuity for listeners with normal hearing. Finally, the relationship between SRM and localization acuity will be discussed.Spatial Release from Masking (SRM) is defined as the ability to obtain better Speech Recognition Thresholds (SRTs) when the masking sounds are spatially separated from the target sound. Localization refers our ability identify the direction of the sound and localization acuity is measured as the difference in locations between the actual and perceived locations. SRM and localization share many common cues on how the task is performed. Here, we present data from young normal hearing on SRM task using Coordinate Response Measure (CRM) sentences and localization acuity using three different noise Gaussian white noise bursts: low pass (1/3 octave wide centered at 500 Hz), high pass (1/3 octave wide centered at 3150 Hz), and broadband (200–5000 Hz). Thirteen loudspeakers (Orb Mod 1), separated by 15 deg in the frontal plane were used to present the stimuli. Initial analyses of the results indicated that, as expected, all the listeners obtained substantial spatial release from masking consistent with the litera...