Evidence for the Generation of Multipath Localisation Cues by Human Pinnae

A set of pulse response measurements have been made on model pinnae over a limited range of sound source locations. The results show that the pinnae allow sound to reach the auditory meatus by more than one path. A systematic variation in path length with sound source elevation has been demonstrated. By physically degrading the model pinnae it has been possible to identify the parts responsible for generating an indirect acoustic path to the meatus. The study provides strong justification for further investigation into a multipath model for the human pinna, and suggests that the behaviour of human pinnae might most usefully be described in the time domain.