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Predicting Binaural Speech Intelligibility in Architectural Acoustics

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The Technology of Binaural Listening

Part of the book series: Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing ((MASP))

Abstract

A binaural model of speech understanding in background noise is presented and applied to the problem of predicting intelligibility in noisy rooms. It is shown that the model can make accurate predictions from binaural room impulse responses that are short compared to the reverberation time of the room. The model indicates (1) that there can be wide variations in intelligibility even within a fairly uniform listening space when multiple noise sources are present, (2) reverberation time is a poor predictor of intelligibility, (3) intelligibility varies as a function of the listener’s’ head orientation. The effects of room occupancy, restaurant table orientation and hearing impairment are also discussed.

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Notes

  1. 1.

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Acknowledgments

Work supported by U.K. Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The authors thank their two external reviewers for valuable suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK

    J. F. Culling

  2. Laboratoire Génie Civil et Bâtiment, Université de Lyon, Lyons, France

    M. Lavandier

  3. Philips Research Europe, Eindhoven, The Netherlands

    S. Jelfs

Authors
  1. J. F. Culling
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  2. M. Lavandier
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  3. S. Jelfs
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. F. Culling .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fak. Elektrotechnik, LS Allgm.Elektrotechn.+Akustik, Univ. Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Jens Blauert

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Culling, J.F., Lavandier, M., Jelfs, S. (2013). Predicting Binaural Speech Intelligibility in Architectural Acoustics. In: Blauert, J. (eds) The Technology of Binaural Listening. Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37762-4_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37762-4_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37761-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37762-4

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