Monaural and binaural speech perception in reverberation for listeners of various ages

The Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) was processed through a room (volume 165 m3, reverberation time T = 0.4, 0.8, and 1.2 s). For both binaural and monaural earphone listening the tests were recorded with a manikin (Kemar) and equalization filters to compensate for the ear canal effect. Six groups of subjects, ten subjects each, had mean ages of 10, 27, 42, 54, 64 and 72 years and average hearing threshold levels. HTLs (for 0.5, 1, and 2 kHz) of 2.7, 5.6, 6.0, 10.9, 14.4, 17.5 dB, respectively. The individual scores for the MRT without reverberation were between 90% and 100% at 70 dB SPL. Children and the elderly required from 10 to 20 dB higher SPLs than young adults to obtain maximum scores. An analysis of variance showed that all the main effects: T, age, and monaural versus binaural listening were significant. The scores declined with T for all ages. The best scores were obtained by the young adults (27 year olds). The binaural scores were about 5% better than monaural scores. Factors contributing to the results and practical implications for amplification are discussed.