Re: Testing whether some humans can hear high frequencies inaudible to "normal" humans

[Peter Lennox <P.Lennox@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

For less than 'proper' quantitative testing, a bat detector to calibrate a sig gen + HF transducer can yield rough-and-ready calibration
Regards
ppl

-----Original Message-----
From: AUDITORY - Research in Auditory Perception [mailto:AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Tom Brennan
Sent: 14 June 2010 02:20
To: AUDITORY@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: Re: Testing whether some humans can hear high frequencies inaudible to "normal" humans

Obviously the first thing you're going to want to do is to have a good standard
audiometric battery done.  Some kids with "autism spectrum" as well as some
other disorders develop hyperacusis hence are not really responding to high
frequency sounds.

Pretty muchy any audiometer can test up to 8k and several can test up to 12k.
There are a few which can test up to 20k but problems with transducers at
frequencies that high limit how useful such testing really is.  Equipment for
calibration is pretty much lacking up in that area.

When I was younger my hearing was tssted up to 26k but in order to do this we
used high frequency equipment normally used for animals.  If you want to really
test high frequency hearing up there you'll almost surely need specialized lab
equipment.

A computer isn't going to be able to produce those high frequencies because of
transducer problems.  Also, on a computer you would be completely lacking
calibration.  The computer rout is probably not viable except as a control unit
for other equipment.

Tom


Tom Brennan  KD5VIJ, CCC-A/SLP
web page http://titan.sfasu.edu/~g_brennantg/sonicpage.html

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