Thresholds of Audibility for Bone-conduction Headsets

Despite advantages of using headphones, including privacy and portability, headphones have one essential drawback: they cover the ears of the listener, thus deteriorating detection and localization of ambient sounds. Bone-conduction headsets leave the ears uncovered, yet maintain portability and privacy. An initial step in establishing guidelines for using these “bonephones” is taken in the present research. The input into the bonephones necessary to reach a 71% detection threshold is measured at critical band centers ranging from 150 Hz to 13500 Hz. These thresholds were measured with an open ear canal, a plugged ear canal, and a masking noise. Results were consistent with other bone-conduction threshold measurements. The utility of this information in the context of equalization for the audio presented through the bonephones is discussed.