Localization of Sounds in the Horizontal Plane using the QuietPro System

Abstract

This report studies the effect of electronic hearing protectors on directional hearing in the horizontal plane. 11 subjects participated in a sound localization test, sitting in the center of a circle of 24 speakers. The test was run once with open ears, and once wearing QuietPro earplugs from Nacre. The subjects were presented with 195 trials consisting of a randomly located 150 ms broadband noise burst, and instructed to identify the source location. The results show that there was a significant increase in localization errors when wearing the electronic hearing protectors, particularly due to an increase in source reversals. Large individual differences between subjects was also observed in this occluded condition.