Masking spreads from a noise band to tones further away as masker level rises

Evidence

More subtly, it is possible for speech that is produced at high levels to mask itself. That is, if the speech is too loud, then, notwithstanding the improvement in signal-to-noise ratio, the intelligibility is reduced, because the low-frequency components of the speech mask the high-frequency components due to the upward spread of masking. — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2480 (#exemplifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Increasing stimulus level broadens auditory filters and causes upward spread of masking; Low-level tones mask lower frequencies more than higher ones, reversing at high levels; Masking acts within critical bandwidths, leaving distant-frequency sounds unaffected — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2009 (+3 more)

Broader Connections

• Increasing stimulus level broadens auditory filters and causes upward spread of masking #expands (0.95)
• Loud speech can mask its own high-frequency components via upward spread of masking #exemplifies (0.90) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2480
• Low-level tones mask lower frequencies more than higher ones, reversing at high levels #expands (0.85)
• Loud low-frequency tones mask high frequencies more than high tones mask low. #expands (0.85)
• Masking acts within critical bandwidths, leaving distant-frequency sounds unaffected #contradicts (0.80) — Eric J. Heller, Why You Hear What You Hear- An…, 2009
• Upward masking makes intermodulation difference tones more audible than harmonics #expands (0.75) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 989