Binaural Unmasking Reference
Distinguish head-shadow level effects from binaural masking-level differences.
Description
The head alters ear-specific spectra and can improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the ear farther from a masker, especially at higher frequencies.
The head alters ear-specific spectra and can improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the ear farther from a masker, especially at higher frequencies. This reference explains the selected concept and the evidence needed to interpret it.1
The returned values include Source, Statement, Topic. The How section below explains the calculation, input rules and interpretation.
When to use Binaural Unmasking Reference
Use Binaural Unmasking Reference when you need to evaluate the supplied records under the calculation and evidence rules below. There is no universal decibel benefit; frequency, geometry, signal, masker, and listener determine the measured advantage. This is an introductory excerpt, not the complete standard, a current compliance check or a project-specific calculation.
Choose the measured quantities, units, weighting and measurement basis before entering values. For a reference, select the exact topic. For a catalog lookup, prepare complete source-backed records; for a screen, select an applicable caller limit.
How to use Binaural Unmasking Reference and understand its results
- Choose the measured quantities, units, weighting and measurement basis before entering values. For a reference, select the exact topic. For a catalog lookup, prepare complete source-backed records; for a screen, select an applicable caller limit.
- Enter topic using the field table and calculation rules, then run the tool.
- Read source, statement, topic. The explanation below defines the units, signs, ordering and any flags or placeholder values.
- If the tool reports an input issue, correct the values and run it again. Apply the stated assumptions when interpreting a successfully returned result.
| Input field | Meaning | Value type; see rules below | Requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| topic | Reference topic to return. | string; one of "head-shadow", "binaural-unmasking", "caution" | Required |
Choose one of the exact topic values in the table. The tool indexes a fixed, locally embedded reference entry and returns its source label, statement and unchanged topic. It does not fetch the source or update the wording. Topic meanings and all returned entries are shown below.
| Selection | Returned reference entry |
|---|---|
| head-shadow | source: Binaural hearing literature; statement: The head alters ear-specific spectra and can improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the ear farther from a masker, especially at higher frequencies.; topic: head-shadow |
| binaural-unmasking | source: Binaural hearing literature; statement: Binaural masking-level differences arise from interaural phase and level cues and are not the same mechanism as acoustic head shadow.; topic: binaural-unmasking |
| caution | source: Binaural hearing literature; statement: There is no universal decibel benefit; frequency, geometry, signal, masker, and listener determine the measured advantage.; topic: caution |
selected exact topic → embedded source label, explanatory statement and topic Units, indexing, boundary conditions and exceptional cases are defined in the calculation rules above.
| Output field | Meaning | Value type |
|---|---|---|
| source | Source used for the reference statement. | string |
| statement | Narrow reference statement for the selected topic. | string |
| topic | Selected reference topic. | string; one of "head-shadow", "binaural-unmasking", "caution" |
{
"input": {
"topic": "head-shadow"
},
"output": {
"source": "Binaural hearing literature",
"statement": "The head alters ear-specific spectra and can improve the signal-to-noise ratio at the ear farther from a masker, especially at higher frequencies.",
"topic": "head-shadow"
}
}Limitations and assumptions
There is no universal decibel benefit; frequency, geometry, signal, masker, and listener determine the measured advantage. This is an introductory excerpt, not the complete standard, a current compliance check or a project-specific calculation.
Numeric inputs, where present, must be finite. Follow the calculation-specific rules for overflow, underflow and exceptional cases. Extremely large text inputs are rejected. Missing fields without a declared default, extra fields, wrong value types and violations of the calculation rules are input errors.
Alternative or Complementary methods
Use Missing Fundamental Reference: A harmonic complex can evoke a pitch at the absent fundamental frequency when the remaining partials support a common periodicity. This reference explains the selected concept and the evidence needed to interpret it. For a complementary task, use Auralization Process Reference: Auralization commonly convolves an anechoic source signal with a measured or simulated room impulse response. This reference explains the selected concept and the evidence needed to interpret it.
References
-
Binaural Unmasking Reference — tool.io
Similar or alternative tools
- Missing Fundamental Reference
A harmonic complex can evoke a pitch at the absent fundamental frequency when the remaining partials support a common periodicity. This reference explains the selected concept and the evidence needed to interpret it.
- Auralization Process Reference
Auralization commonly convolves an anechoic source signal with a measured or simulated room impulse response. This reference explains the selected concept and the evidence needed to interpret it.