Directional hearing resolution is worst near 1.7 kHz where head size equals one wavelength
Evidence
At around 1.7 kHz the resolution is the worst, especially for sounds from the sides, so much so that the subjects cannot make any reliable estimate at all. This is the frequency where the ILD does not depend monotonically on direction and the head size is about one wavelength, leading to maximal confusion in the ITD and ILD decoding. At higher frequencies, the resolution improves, but is never as good as for frequencies below 1 kHz. — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1472
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- XREF: A concrete number relevant to alarm and warning-tone design in applied acoustics: avoid relying on ITD/ILD localization at 1.7 kHz.
Related
- Spatial hearing is worst near 1.7 kHz where head wavelength matches. (similarity 0.90)
- Phase-based directional hearing works only below about 743 hertz (similarity 0.83)
- Interaural level differences only emerge at frequencies above roughly 400 Hz. (similarity 0.81)
- Acoustic head shadow creates a better ear with higher SNR in everyday listening (similarity 0.80)
- Head intensity-shading fails below the frequency where head size reaches one-third wavelength (similarity 0.80)
- Directional hearing rests on interaural time and intensity differences. (similarity 0.80)
- Phase-based localization sensing has a hard frequency ceiling near 1.6 kHz (similarity 0.80)
- Head shading creates interaural level differences used for sound localization (similarity 0.80)
- The head shadows and reflects sound to create level differences between the ears. (similarity 0.80)
- Head shadowing gives roughly 6 dB interaural amplitude difference near 1.85 kHz (similarity 0.80)
- Head orientation is necessary because interaural level differences plateau off-midline (similarity 0.79)
- Interaural level differences and time shifts trade off to control lateralization (similarity 0.78)
Broader Connections
- Head shadowing gives roughly 6 dB interaural amplitude difference near 1.85 kHz
#corroborates(0.80) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 418 - Head intensity-shading fails below the frequency where head size reaches one-third wavelength
#expands(0.78) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 727 - Elevated hearing thresholds impair spatial separation of direct sound from room reflections.
#complicates(0.72) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 1066 - Directional hearing accuracy figures vary by test setup and subject training
#qualifies(0.72) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1483