Spatial Hearing and Sound Localization

A collection of flashcards focused on key vocabulary related to spatial hearing and sound localization concepts.

Binaural

Using both ears.

Monaural

Using one ear.

Sound Localization

The ability to identify the location of a sound in space.

Lateralization

The perception of sound location when using headphones.

Super Threshold

Any sound level louder than the softest sound one can hear.

Binaural Summation

The phenomenon where sound appears louder when received in both ears compared to one.

Azimuth

The direction of a sound source from the listener's perspective expressed in degrees.

Interaural Time Difference (ITD)

The difference in time it takes for a sound to reach each ear.

Interaural Level Difference (ILD)

The difference in sound intensity that reaches each ear.

Phase Ambiguity

A condition where the starting phase of sound is the same at both ears, complicating localization.

High Frequency Sounds

Sounds that create sound shadows; these are blocked by the head producing ILDs.

Low Frequency Sounds

Sounds that can wrap around the head; these do not create ILDs.

Complex Sounds

Sounds that consist of a mix of multiple frequencies occurring simultaneously.

Sound Shadow

The reduction in sound intensity in one ear due to the head blocking sound from the other ear.