Spatial localization of sounds with hearing protection devices allowing speech communication

Véronique Zimpfer (1) , David Sarafian , Karl Buck , Pascal Hamery (2)

1 ISL
2 ISL - Institut Franco-Allemand de Recherches de Saint-Louis

Level-dependent hearing protection devices protect the ear against harmful noise exposure, like impulse noise with high peak pressure levels, but allow unaltered perception of the quiet acoustic environment. Using this type of protection, speech communication is possible. For these hearing protection devices (HPDs) two principles exist: 1) passive systems (like nonlinear earplugs) and 2) active systems (talk-through systems) using electronics for the reproduction of the acoustic environment. The goal of this study is to quantify the degradation of spatial perception when these protections are worn. To which level is the localization still possible? Tests are realized in order to estimate the localization errors of sound in space with and without wearing level-dependent HPDs. Different kinds of protectors have been used. These tests show that the use of one of these HPDs impedes on the spatial perception: confusions between top-down as well as between in front-back perception.

Mots clés: Localization; hearing-protector

Domaines: Acoustique [physics.class-ph]

Véronique Zimpfer, David Sarafian, Karl Buck, Pascal Hamery. Spatial localization of sounds with hearing protection devices allowing speech communication. Acoustics 2012, Apr 2012, Nantes, France. ⟨hal-00810666⟩