Effect of talker and speaking style on the Speech Transmission Index (L)

The Speech Transmission Index (STI) is routinely applied for predicting the intelligibility of messages (sentences) in noise and reverberation. Despite clear evidence that the STI is capable of doing so accurately, recent results indicate that the STI sometimes underestimates the effect of reverberation on sentence intelligibility. To...

Noise sensitivity and reactions to noise and other environmental conditions

This article integrates findings from the literature and new results regarding noise sensitivity. The new results are based on analyses of 28 combined datasets (N=23 038), and separate analyses of a large aircraft noise study (N=10939). Three topics regarding noise sensitivity are discussed, namely, its relationship with noise exposure, its...

On the assessment of shooting sounds: Loudness-level weightings versus A- and C-weighted sound exposure levels (L)

As an alternative to the A-weighted sound exposure level (ASEL) Schomer et al. [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 110, 2390-2397 (2001)] used the equal-loudness level contours as a dynamic filter to determine the loudness-level-weighted sound exposure level (LLSEL). From their analyses they concluded that the LLSEL better orders and assesses traffic and...

Quantifying the intelligibility of speech in noise for non-native listeners

On the annoyance caused by impulse sounds produced by small, medium-large, and large firearms

A laboratory study was designed in which the annoyance was investigated for 14 different impulse sound types produced by various firearms ranging in caliber from 7.62 to 155 mm. Sixteen subjects rated the annoyance for the simulated conditions of (1) being outdoors, and (2) being indoors with the windows closed. In the latter case, a...