Abstract
Intermittent sounds generated at 270° azimuth and from distances ranging from 2 to 10 feet were recorded on magnetic tape and played back to listeners via headphones. Loudness cues for relative distance were eliminated at the time of recording. Listeners were required to estimate the apparent distance of the recorded sounds when heard monoaurally and binaurally. Most subjects estimated the order of distances correctly. Distance estimations were as proficient when listening monaurally as when listening binaurally. Performance was more accurate for high-pass (>4.0 kHz) noise bursts than for low-pass (<1.0 kHz) noise bursts. In a second study, broadband noise bursts were recorded from azimuthal positions of 360°, 330°, 300° and 270° again at distances ranging from 2 to 10 feet. Estimations of the distances of the sounds, presented via headphones, were most proficient when azimuthal position of the original stimuli was 330°.