Revision and validation of a binaural model for speech intelligibility in noise

Lavandier and Culling [Lavandier, M. and Culling, J. F. 2010. Prediction of binaural speech intelligibility against noise in rooms. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 127, 387–399] demonstrated a method of predicting human speech reception thresholds for speech in combined noise and reverberation. An updated version of the model is presented, which is substantially more computationally efficient. The updated model makes similar predictions for the SRT data considered by Lavandier and Culling, which tested the model’s ability to predict effects of binaural unmasking and room colouration. In addition, we show here that the model accurately predicts the effects of headshadow and reproduces a range of data sets from the literature, including situations with multiple interfering sounds in anechoic conditions.

► A model of spatial unmasking for speech in continuous noise accurately predicted performance.
► Spatial unmasking for speech is a combination of binaural unmasking and better-ear listening.
► Spatial unmasking appears to operate independently in each frequency channel.