Interaural attenuation for Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones

Abstract

Abstract

Interaural attenuation (IA) was evaluated for pure tones (frequency range 125 to 16000 Hz) using Sennheiser HDA 200 circumaural earphones and Telephonics TDH-39P earphones in nine unilaterally deaf subjects. Audiometry was conducted in 1-dB steps using the manual ascending technique in accordance with ISO 8253-1. For all subjects and for all tested frequencies, the lowest IA value for HDA 200 was 42 dB. The present IA values for TDH-39P earphones closely resemble previously reported data. The findings show that the HDA 200 earphones provide more IA than the TDH-39P, especially at lower frequencies (≤500 Hz). It is concluded that contralateral masking should be applied during pure-tone audiometry with the HDA 200 earphones when the level at the test ear is more than 40 dB above the threshold of the non-test ear.

Sumario

Se evaluó la atenuación interaural (AI) con tonos puros (rango de frecuencia 125-16000 Hz) usando auriculares circumaurales Sennheiser HAD 200 y auriculares Telephonics TDH-39P, en nueve sordos unilaterales. La audiometría se practicó en pasos de 1-dB usando la técnica manual ascendente de acuerdo con ISO 8253-1. En todos los sujetos y en todas las frecuencias el valor de AI más bajo para HDA 200 fue de 42 dB. Los valores actuales de AI para los auriculares TDH-39P se asemejan mucho a los datos previamente reportados. Los hallazgos muestran que los auriculares HDA 200 proporcionan mayor AI que los TDH-39P, especialmente en las frecuencias bajas (≤ 500Hz). Se concluye que el enmascaramiento contralateral debe aplicarse en la audiometría tonal con auriculares HDA 200, cuando el nivel en el oído evaluado sea mayor a 40 dB sobre el umbral del oído no evaluado.

Key Words:

• Audiometry
• Circumaural earphones
• Clinical masking
• Interaural attenuation
• Supra-aural earphones

Acknowledgements

The authors thank engineer Anders Jönsson, and three anonymous reviewers for valuable suggestions and comments on a previous version of this manuscript

Declaration of interest: The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.