Physical and subjective correlates of earmould occlusion.
Physical and subjective aspects of earmould occlusion are examined and related. In particular, measurements made in an ear-like coupler for various venting arrangements are compared with those obtained subjectively by a loudness balance procedure. The results demonstrate the effectiveness of an open (completely non-occluding) earmould at low-frequency sound reduction but indicate some of the factors which make its individual effect difficult to predict. It is further seen the group of hearing-impaired persons was less able to make systematic judgements on sound quality than was the control group of normally hearing persons.
D001299:Audiometry; D001307:Auditory Perception; D004424:Ear Canal; D006310:Hearing Aids / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D011571:Psychoacoustics