Critical Band Width in Loudness Summation

TLDR

The critical band concept applies to loudness summation, with loudness remaining constant as tone spacing or noise bandwidth increases until a critical point, after which it rises. The critical band width at which loudness summation depends on energy spread is essentially the same as that obtained by threshold, masking, and phase methods, about 2.5 times wider than Fletcher’s theoretical band, yet with comparable frequency dependence.

Abstract

The concept of the critical band, or Frequenzgruppe, is shown to apply to loudness summation. When the spacing between a group of pure tones is increased, the loudness remains constant until a critical point is reached, after which the loudness increases. The same effect occurs when the width of a band of noise of constant SPL is made larger. The critical band width at which loudness summation begins to depend on the spread of energy is approximately the same as the critical band width determined previously by methods involving thresholds, masking, and phase. The critical band as measured directly by these three methods (plus the method of loudness summation) is about two-and-a-half times as wide as the critical band derived from the assumptions made by Fletcher, but its dependence on frequency is approximately the same. The relation of the critical band to other functions is noted.