ABSTRACT
Measurements in a sound field with equipment based on use of single microphones give incomplete indications of what a person may experience in that sound field. The torso, head, pinnae, and ear canal alter substantially the spectral shape ofthe sound experienced by a person as compared to that evaluated by instruments having responses that are flat over frequency. Binaural measurement systems incorporate an artificial head for capturing the sound at the ear entrance location on the head as two separate signals. The artificial head reproduces the diffractions and external ear resonances that contribute to perceptions. Analyzing and quantifying of the sound is done binaurally in an analyzer that combines superior signal analysis and display with simultaneous listening to the sound being analyzed. The human ear is unsurpassed as an analyzer and interpreter of sound. Three application examples are included in the discussion. Competitive pressure is causing product developers to use binaural measurements to obtain a better under standing of how product noise is perceived and thus to identify refinements that will make products more acceptable to users. In the field of architectural acoustics binaural measurements give a better understanding ofthe proper ties of existing halls and new or renovated spaces and how they can be improved for the benefit of performers and patrons. There is growing evidence that binaurally presented and perceived sound stimuli affect sub liminal physiological responses to sounds.
