Intelligibility of speech with reverberation and amplitude compression

Modified Rhyme Test (MRT) was recorded in a room with reverberation the reverberation time T = 0.8 s). The “reverberant” speech was submitted to three-channel multiband compression (MBC) in which the compression ratio (CR) in each channel was adjusted on the basis of the dynamic range of speech and the dynamic range of subject's (S) hearing. The processed signal was amplified with individually adjusted frequency responses and delivered to the listeners via a circumaural earphone at the most comfortable levels. Ten sensorineural S's were tested. The mean scores without reverberation, without and with compression were 82.9% and 84.3%, respectively. The reverberation lowered these scores to 51.7% and 48.7%, respectively. While the mean scores with reverberation were significantly different than without it, the effect of compression was not significant. [Work supported by NIH NS 12946.]