Pure-tone localization errors spike specifically around 2000 to 4000 Hz

Evidence

Stevens and Newman also calculated the errors in degrees as a function of the location of the speaker. Figure 7–7 shows that they found the lowest error rates when the speaker was located in the front of the body (0°). Performance was considerably poorer and was fairly equal when the speaker was located at all other positions tested (between 15° and 90°). Their work indicates that good sound localization abilities are only achievable when our face is pointed toward the sound. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1493 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Sound localization is best for frontal sounds and at low and high frequencies; Sound localization is most accurate when facing the sound source — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1493; Frequency-modulated tones lose fluctuation strength above 1 kHz centre frequency (+2 more)

Related

• Sound localization is most accurate when facing the sound source (similarity 0.91)
• Sound localization is best for frontal sounds and at low and high frequencies (similarity 0.84)
• Localization precision peaks in front, degrades at the sides, improves behind (similarity 0.83)
• Phase-based localization sensing has a hard frequency ceiling near 1.6 kHz (similarity 0.81)
• Horizontal localization is most acute straight ahead and degrades sharply to the sides. (similarity 0.81)
• Sound localization blur is smallest in front and largest at the sides (similarity 0.81)
• Front and back sound localization requires other mechanisms than ITD (similarity 0.81)
• Elevation localization is a timbral recognition task driven by resonant peaks (similarity 0.80)
• Head symmetry creates a cone of directions where sound localization is ambiguous (similarity 0.80)
• Phase-based localization tops out at 743 Hz at 90 degrees (similarity 0.79)
• The ear cannot sense a tone’s absolute phase but does sense phase differences. (similarity 0.79)
• High-frequency tones yield multiple possible source locations from a single phase difference (similarity 0.78)

Broader Connections

• Sound localization is best for frontal sounds and at low and high frequencies #corroborates (0.78)
• Frequency-modulated tones lose fluctuation strength above 1 kHz centre frequency #corroborates (0.75)
• Sound localization is most accurate when facing the sound source #corroborates (0.72) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1493
• Binaural phase disparities improve tone detection by up to 25 dB. #corroborates (0.72)