Two-ear listening improves sound-field thresholds by 10 to 15 dB

Evidence

MAF thresholds can be 10 to 15 dB better than MAP thresholds. However, these data do not allow a definitive assessment on the hearing advantages that are specific to having two ears. In particular, free-field measurements cannot easily disambiguate the contributions of true binaural phenomena from acoustic interactions between the sound field and the body. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1421

The free-field measurement (MAF) yielded much lower thresholds than the MAP, with differences in the range of 10 to 15 dB, but often greater. Three primary factors contribute to this result (Sivian & White, 1933): Listening with two ears versus one. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 247

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to Chapter 2’s MAP vs MAF threshold discussion already in the reader’s notes.
• corroborated: 2 independent passages support this claim — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1421; Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 247