Even small hearing asymmetries across ears disrupt binaural hearing.

Evidence

Hearing impairment can have a drastic effect on binaural hearing, and a number of factors must be considered when evaluating the effects of hearing loss on binaural hearing. Here, we will only consider cases in which a listener has residual hearing in both ears, as a listener with unilateral hearing loss has no binaural hearing. Most studies have been conducted on bilateral, symmetrical sensorineural hearing loss, but even small asymmetries in hearing across the ears can disrupt binaural hearing abilities. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1575

Categorization

• QUESTION: What magnitude of asymmetry disrupts binaural abilities, and through what mechanism — audibility or neural timing?
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1575