Acoustical interference dips are too unstable to be evolutionary localization cues

Evidence

Looking at ears, the differences we can see among subjects result in very different acoustical performances (Shaw, 1974a, 1975, 1982): peaks and dips of ever-changing shapes. Some researchers have been paying attention to the highly visible acoustical interference dips in the curves. Such dips are highly variable among subjects, but in real listening situations the direct sound does not exist in isolation. There are numerous reflected sounds arriving from many directions that confound any interference dip cues. None of this is stable, changing with even slight head movements. It is difficult to imagine why dips would be the focus of natural selection in the evolutionary process. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 743

Categorization

• XREF: Relates to the claim that peaks matter more than dips in perceived sound quality from earlier chapters on loudspeaker response.