Headphone studies reveal ILD perception abilities hidden by natural field acoustics

Evidence

Yost and Dye illustrated that the ear has the ability to perceive ILDs regardless of frequency. This finding could not have been easily revealed using free-field studies alone. Both results have implications for the development of technologies that may be used to improve binaural hearing for both hearing aid and cochlear implant users and provide a strong experimental supplement to free-field experiments. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1531

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the ILD/frequency dependence work of Feddersen et al. and the broader binaural hearing aid/cochlear implant angle.
• SEED: A ‘what headphones can teach us that the free field cannot’ essay angle on how controlled lab stimuli isolate perceptual mechanisms.