Audiogram of humans (Homo sapiens)
Data from:
Jackson, L.L., Heffner, R.S., and Heffner, H.E.(1999) Free-field audiogram of the Japanese macaque (Macaca fuscata).Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 106, 3017-3023. (7 individuals, free field)
Sivian, L.J., and White, S.D. (1933) On minimum audible sound fields. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 4, 288-321. (average of group C, free-field)
ISO (1961) ISO R. 226. “Normal equal-loudness level contours” (International Organization for Standardization, Geneva).
Average absolute thresholds (in dB re 20 µN/m2) for humans
|
Frequency (in kHz) |
Threshold (in dB) |
Average |
||
|
Jackson et al., 1999 |
Sivian & White, 1933 |
ISO Human Standard |
||
|
.004 |
100 |
|
|
100 |
|
.008 |
94 |
|
|
94 |
|
.016 |
82.4 |
--- |
--- |
82 |
|
.032 |
58.2 |
--- |
58 |
58 |
|
.060 |
--- |
45 |
--- |
45 |
|
.063 |
35.8 |
--- |
37 |
36.5 |
|
.120 |
--- |
29 |
--- |
29 |
|
.125 |
17.1 |
--- |
23 |
20 |
|
.240 |
--- |
18 |
--- |
18 |
|
.250 |
10 |
--- |
11 |
10.5 |
|
.480 |
--- |
8 |
--- |
8 |
|
.500 |
10 |
--- |
8 |
9 |
|
.960 |
--- |
6 |
--- |
6 |
|
1 |
-3.7 |
--- |
2 |
-1 |
|
1.92 |
--- |
-7 |
--- |
-7 |
|
2 |
-9.9 |
--- |
-2 |
-6 |
|
3.85 |
--- |
-7 |
--- |
-7 |
|
4 |
-10.3 |
--- |
-7 |
-8.5 |
|
5.4 |
--- |
1 |
-2 |
-.5 |
|
7.8 |
--- |
9 |
--- |
9 |
|
8 |
9 |
--- |
10 |
9.5 |
|
10.5 |
--- |
13 |
--- |
13 |
|
15 |
--- |
24 |
18 |
21 |
|
16 |
25.4 |
--- |
43 |
34 |
|
18 |
71.2 |
--- |
--- |
71 |
|
20 |
>91 |
--- |
--- |
>91 |
Lowest and highest frequencies audible at sound
pressure levels (SPL) ranging from 30 to 70 dB SPL
|
SPL (in dB) |
Lowest audible frequency (in kHz) |
Highest audible frequency (in kHz) |
|
70 |
.023 |
18 |
|
60 |
.031 |
17.6 |
|
50 |
.041 |
17 |
|
40 |
.055 |
16.6 |
|
30 |
|
|
Additional Parameters:
Body weight = 75 kg
Functional interaural distance= 875 µs
(Time required for sound to travel around the head from one auditory meatus to the other.)
Comments: Two observers in our laboratory reported that the tones lost their tonal quality below 22.5 Hz and took on a pulsing quality.