Subject: Re: Speakers for speech testing From: Brent Edwards <brent(at)EDWARDS.NET> Date: Tue, 13 Sep 2005 13:32:06 -0800>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(at)u.washington.edu> To: AUDITORY(at)LISTS.MCGILL.CA 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