To study the role of harmonic structure in pitch perception, normal-hearing listeners were tested using noise-vocoded harmonic tone complexes. When tested in a magnitude judgment procedure using vocoded versions generated with 2-128 channels, judgments of pitch strength increased systematically as the number of channels increased and reflected acoustic cues based on harmonic peak-to-valley ratio, but not cues based on periodicity strength. When tested in a fundamental frequency discrimination task, listeners correctly recognized the direction of pitch change with as few as eight noise-vocoded channels. The results suggest that spectral processing contributes substantially to pitch perception in normal-hearing listeners.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1121/1.4757697 | DOI Listing |
Trends Hear
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Noise and Vibration Research, Institute of Acoustics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wide dynamic range compression (WDRC) and noise reduction both play important roles in hearing aids. WDRC provides level-dependent amplification so that the level of sound produced by the hearing aid falls between the hearing threshold and the highest comfortable level of the listener, while noise reduction reduces ambient noise with the goal of improving intelligibility and listening comfort and reducing effort. In most current hearing aids, noise reduction and WDRC are implemented sequentially, but this may lead to distortion of the amplitude modulation patterns of both the speech and the noise.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe primary concern among adults with regard to their hearing is the difficulty in comprehending speech, particularly in noisy environments. The constant need to listen attentively leads to heightened frustration, fatigue and decreased concentration. According to research, high-frequency hearing loss could have negative implications on speech perception and make it even harder to communicate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFHear Res
January 2025
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communications Disorders, 6001 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA.
Hearing loss has historically been mainly associated with elevated pure-tone thresholds. However, in recent years, there has been increased interest in addressing the hearing difficulties reported by individuals with normal hearing thresholds. In this study, we measured hearing thresholds, noise history, temporary threshold shift history, and hearing difficulty for a sample of 10,492 Service Members.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Neurosci
January 2025
Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.
Amplitude compression is an indispensable feature of contemporary audio production and especially relevant in modern hearing aids. The cortical fate of amplitude-compressed speech signals is not well-studied, however, and may yield undesired side effects: We hypothesize that compressing the amplitude envelope of continuous speech reduces neural tracking. Yet, leveraging such a 'compression side effect' on unwanted, distracting sounds could potentially support attentive listening if effectively reducing their neural tracking.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Acoust Soc Am
January 2025
Dyson School of Design Engineering, Imperial College London, SW7 2DB London, United Kingdom.
To date, there is strong evidence indicating that humans with normal hearing can adapt to non-individual head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). However, less attention has been given to studying the generalization of this adaptation to untrained conditions. This study investigated how adaptation to one set of HRTFs can generalize to another set of HRTFs.
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