Adding correlated noise across ears can improve rather than worsen monaural detection

Evidence

The N0Sm configuration illustrates a striking binaural release from masking: A signal + noise in a single ear (monaural) yields a threshold that is 9 dB higher than a monaural signal presented with a binaural, diotic noise. Intuitively, we might expect that adding noise would increase the masking, but rather our binaural auditory system is able to take advantage of the correlated noise between the two ears and enhance performance. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1558