NOISE-MASKING TONE

• Noise-masking tone: a tone at Bark frequency g energy E_T (dB) masks noise at Bark frequency b if the noise energy is below the threshold:
  
  
  T_N(b) = E_T - 2.025 - 0.17g + S_m(b-g)   (dB SPL)
  
  
• Masking thresholds are commonly referred to as Bark scale functions of just noticeable differences (JND).
  
  

Key points:

• Thresholds are not symmetric.
  
  
• Thresholds depend on the nature of the noise and the sound.