JASA express letters最新文献

A general theory for obtaining spherical wave function expansion coefficients for a sound beam transmitted by a planar velocity source is presented. By neglecting evanescent wave components and thus making the proposed method only approximate in the near field, it is shown that these coefficients can be obtained for any expansion point using just the normal velocity condition in the source plane. Additionally, simplifications are presented for axisymmetric sources. Results are compared with direct numerical evaluation of the Rayleigh integral for source conditions corresponding to a circular and rectangular piston. The present theory can be used in calculations of acoustic scattering and radiation force for spherical objects, or in spherical acoustical holography applications.

To accurately characterize the non-radial motion of the source relative to the receiver, a three-dimensional (3D) model is essential. The extended Kalman filter (EKF) state matrix is employed to characterize the source's 3D motion. The measurement input for the EKF is the time delay between the direct and surface-reflected arrivals. The differences in the partial derivatives of the distance component have been identified and discussed. Through iterative filtering, a reliable estimate of the source's position in 3D space is obtained. Both simulations and experiments validate the effectiveness of the method, with experimental depth estimation errors within 1.5%.

This study examined relationships between cochlear implant-aided speech recognition, sound quality ratings, and quality of life outcomes in 41 adult cochlear implant users. Participants completed word and sentence recognition tasks, the Speech, Spatial and Qualities (SSQ) questionnaire, and the Cochlear Implant Quality of Life (CIQOL) questionnaire. Sound quality ratings on SSQ showed a weak correlation with sentence recognition in noise but strong positive correlations with CIQOL scores. Sound quality independently predicted quality of life, explaining 32% of global score variance, while speech recognition measures showed no effects. These findings highlight sound quality as a distinct and meaningful outcome metric.

Spatially separating target and masker talkers improves speech perception in noise, an effect known as spatial release from masking (SRM). Independently, the perceived location of a sound can erroneously shift towards an associated but spatially displaced visual stimulus (the "ventriloquist effect"). This study investigated whether SRM can be induced by spatially separating visual stimuli associated with a target and masker without separating the sound sources themselves. Results showed that SRM was not induced by spatially separated visual stimuli, but collocated visual stimuli reduced the benefit of auditory SRM. There was no influence of individual differences in auditory localization ability on effects related to the visual stimuli.

This study presents a non-destructive method for estimating surface acoustic wave attenuation, which is highly sensitive to microstructural features, especially at high frequencies. The method uses a single wideband dispersive interdigital transducer (IDT) that remotely emits acoustic waves at the sample's edge. Chirp compression of the temporal displacement response is achieved by correlating the excitation signal with the spatial configuration of the IDT's electrodes. This technique generates high-amplitude pulses with a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio, critical for enabling accurate attenuation estimation over a frequency range (15-70 MHz). Results from nickel and aluminum demonstrate the method's effectiveness for rapid material characterization.

Hearing aid (HA) processing can affect acoustic features linked with emotions, potentially making them less distinguishable. This study investigated whether HA processing, with both standard and short processing delays, affects emotion prediction from a set of acoustic features associated with speech emotions and how well these predictions align with perceived emotions. The findings indicated that anger and sadness are the easiest emotions to predict from acoustic features, while happiness and fear are the most accurately perceived emotions by listeners with normal hearing. HA processing, regardless of delay, does not seem to impair the predictability of emotions from acoustic features or the perception of these emotions.

Misophonia is a condition characterized by intense negative emotional reactions to trigger sounds and related stimuli. In this study, adult listeners (N = 15) with a self-reported history of misophonia symptoms and a control group without misophonia (N = 15) completed listening judgements of recorded misophonia trigger stimuli using a standard scale. Participants also completed an established questionnaire of misophonia symptoms, the Misophonia Questionnaire (MQ). Summed scores of the listening task were significantly correlated with overall MQ score. The misophonia group had significantly higher listening scores and MQ scores compared to controls. These findings indicate applications for psychoacoustic methods in the assessment of misophonia.

Identifying speakers of interest in an auditory scene is a fundamental task that facilitates effective communication. Little is known about the specific contributions of spectral and temporal detail required for identifying a specific speaker of interest by human listeners. This study investigated the relative contributions of spectral and temporal detail for identifying a speaker of interest and perceived effort in doing so. Results showed significant improvements in speaker identification and decreased effort ratings as spectral channels increased. Improved speaker identification performance with increased temporal filter cutoff from 20 Hz to 800 Hz was observed. These results have implications for speech signal processing by amplification devices and automated speaker recognition systems.

A prior solution for the scattering of traveling wave sound by concentric fluid spheres is recast using complex unimodular s-function notation, which is convenient for expressing partial wave amplitudes and radiation forces on spheres in standing waves. Viscous and thermal energy dissipation are neglected. The fluid core affects the low-frequency dynamics of the fluid shell. The lowest monopole mode of air-filled liquid shells in air is considered. The frequency is approximated by generalizing the analysis of the Minnaert resonance of an air bubble in water. This analysis is relevant to the acoustical scattering by and conditions for trapping of compound drops.

We present a speech motor control model that integrates optimal feedback control (OFC) for movement planning and execution with a biomechanical model of the vocal tract. The OFC model was designed to optimize a cost function that combines motor effort and the achievement of multisensory goal zones. We show that the model can account for various aspects of speech production: kinematic properties, coarticulation, and sensorimotor integration. Furthermore, we provide evidence that hearing, proprioception, and tactile feedback may play distinct roles in shaping speech trajectories.