Difference noise generated by ear nonlinearities can be heard before the test tone itself

Evidence

This section concerns sounds that in some sense could be said to “deceive” the ear. Such sounds have a psychoacoustic realization that is not what might be expected from knowledge of their acoustic components. In other words, the subjective and objective realizations of sounds cannot be always directly matched up. While some of the examples given may be of no obvious musical use to the performer or composer, they may in the future find musical application in electronically produced music for particular musical effects where control over the acoustic components of the output sound is exact. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1568 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Combination tones arise from the hearing system’s own nonlinearity — Professor Dr.-Ing. Hugo Fastl, Professor Dr.-Ing. Eberhard, Psychoacoustics- Facts and Models, 430; The ear becomes less nonlinear as sound levels rise; Cubic difference tones in hearing defy regular nonlinear transfer models (+16 more)

Related

• Combination tones arise from the hearing system’s own nonlinearity (similarity 0.93)
• The ear generates audible combination tones not present in the stimulus (similarity 0.92)
• What the ear perceives can diverge from sound’s physical components. (similarity 0.90)
• Hearing’s own nonlinearity produces audible difference tones even in distortion-free equipment (similarity 0.89)
• Cubic difference tones arise inside the ear, not in the equipment (similarity 0.88)
• Combination tones beat against other near-pitched instruments unless masked (similarity 0.88)
• Nonlinear cochlear mechanics make listeners perceive nonexistent difference tones (similarity 0.88)
• Distorted audio gear can create phantom tones falsely attributed to the ear (similarity 0.87)
• Humans perceive extended sound sources poorly when their parts emit identical tones (similarity 0.87)
• Two simultaneous tones generate audible lower tones absent from the stimulus (similarity 0.87)
• Nonlinear distortion adds frequencies that were not in the original signal (similarity 0.87)
• Two frequencies can mechanically generate sum and difference frequencies in the ear (similarity 0.87)
• The ear itself generates distortion products even when equipment is clean (similarity 0.86)
• Cancellation equalizes internally produced combination tones with an external tone (similarity 0.86)
• Noise-induced hearing loss can unmask audible difference tones (similarity 0.86)

Broader Connections

• Nonlinear cochlear mechanics make listeners perceive nonexistent difference tones #expands (0.90)
• Two frequencies can mechanically generate sum and difference frequencies in the ear #expands (0.85)
• Combination tones exist below both source tones and vary in audibility #corroborates (0.85)
• What the ear perceives can diverge from sound’s physical components. #corroborates (0.85) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 1568
• Noise-induced hearing loss can unmask audible difference tones #contradicts (0.80)
• Human ears add distortion when sounds begin #expands (0.80) — Schafer, Murray R, The Soundscape- Our Sonic Environment…, 880
• Upward masking makes intermodulation difference tones more audible than harmonics #expands (0.80) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 989
• Auditory spectra differ from power spectra for identical sounds. #qualifies (0.75)