Binaural cues and consonant perception in reverberation and noise

Although a binaural advantage for understanding speech in adverse listening conditions has long been recognized, little is known about how binaural hearing influences consonant error patterns. The goal of the present study was to examine differences in consonant perception when stimuli distorted by noise and/or reverberation were presented using monaural, binaural, and diotic presentation modes. Results showed significant differences in error patterns among the three listening conditions (noise, reverberation, and reverberation + noise). Differences among the three presentation modes (monaural, binaural, and diotic) were subtle, as were interactions among presentation modes and listening conditions.