Timbre perception and object separation with normal and impaired hearing

Timbre is a combination of all auditory object attributes other than pitch, loudness and duration. A timbre distortion caused by a sensorineural hearing loss not only affects music perception, but may also influence object recognition in general. In order to quantify differences in object segregation and timbre discrimination between normal-hearing and hearing-impaired listeners with a sensorineural hearing loss, a new method for studying timbre perception was developed, which uses cross-faded (morphed) instrument sounds in psychoacoustic measurements. The results of the similarity rating and discrimination experiments are discussed in the context of common timbre models and simulated using an effective auditory computer model. The present study shows that, as opposed to reduced ability of hearing-impaired listeners to separate natural objects due to a reduction in time and frequency resolution, certain timbre dimensions seem to not be degraded by compression loss. These timbres might provide hearing-impaired listeners with cues for separating objects when linear sound amplification is provided.

Level thesis:degree_level

thesis.doctoral

Grantor dc:publisher

Universität Oldenburg

Year

2007

Author dc:creator

• Emiroglu, Suzan Selma

• [Keine Schlagwörter von Autor/in vergeben.]

Repository record source_url

http://oops.uni-oldenburg.de/17

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:oops.uni-oldenburg.de:17