Re: Speakers for speech testing

[Brent Edwards <brent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

>From an AI perspective, the speaker response shouldn't matter as long as audibility is ensured, the change in response doesn't affect spread of masking relative to a flat response, and the rollover level isn't reached. While not a directly answer to your question but related nonetheless, I had this to say about the frequency response of hearing aids in my chapter of the Springer speech book:

"The slope of the frequency response can change considerably and not affect intelligibility as long as speech remains between the thresold of audibility and discomfort (Lippman, et al. 1981; van Dijkhuizen et al. 1987), although a negative slope may result in a deterioration of intelligibility due to upward spread of masking (can Dijkhuizen et al. 1989)."

--Brent

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ward R. Drennan" <drennan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Speakers for speech testing
Date:         Tue, 13 Sep 2005 13:32:11 -0700

> 
> Does anyone know of research that has investigated a effect of the speaker's 
> frequency response on speech perception ability? We could try to get speaker 
> response to be perfectly flat, but so long as we are within an ANSI standard, 
> does it really make a difference? Does anyone know the scientific basis of 
> this standard?
> 
> ANSI standard 3.6-1996 (from Katz on speech audiometry):
> No more than 10 dB attenuation 125-250 Hz
> +/- 3 dB 250-4000 Hz
> +/- 5 dB 4000-6000 Hz
> 
> Ward R. Drennan, Ph. D.
> VM Bloedel Hearing Research Center
> University of Washington Box 357923
> Seattle, WA 98195-7923
> Phone: (206) 897-1848
> Fax: (206) 616-1828