MONAURAL LOUDNESS FUNCTIONS UNDER MASKING

Monaural sone functions are obtained for a no†noise condition and under five levels of masking noise using the method of fractionation. This method precludes the use of both ears in obtaining such functions as has been the case with dichotic loudness balance and other related procedures. The curves obtained are found to parallel previously found masked functions in one case, and in another to show a more rapid acceleration at low levels, but identical slopes above 1 sone. When the power function exponent of a 1000†Hz tone is plotted against over†all SPL of a masking noise, a â€æpower transformation,†which parallels that found for speech in noise, is obtained. Although no numerical calculations are presented, it appears that above 60 dB of noise the exponent grows as approximately the 0.16 power of the noise. © 1968, Acoustical Society of America. All rights reserved.