A Grason—Stadler E800 Bekesy audiometer was used for threshold measurements with sweep—frequency technique starting from the low tones (forward) and then from the high frequencies (reverse). The tracings were superimposed for both interrupted and continuous tones in normal—hearing subjects and in cochlear deafness. In some cases, most frequently in retro—cochlear lesions, the reverse tracing was poorer than the forward curve for continuous tones in the middle—and/or high—frequency regions. This behaviour was associated with pronounced threshold tone decay and, almost without any exceptions, with negative or incomplete recruitment.