Auditory brainstem responses to high-resolution audio sounds: Effects of anti-alias filters. (20th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Ohwan, Mai; Nittono, Hiroshi
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 765(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-11-20
• Subjects: Auditory evoked potential -- Auditory perception -- Discrimination -- Sound quality; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2021.136254
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Lessened blurring of sound is suggested as a cause for high-resolution audio superiority. Anti-alias filtering produces artificial ringing on a digital sound source. An anti-alias filter for compact discs did not affect click-evoked auditory brainstem responses. People were not able to discriminate the effect of a CD-level anti-alias filter. Abstract: Despite the superior technical specifications of high-resolution audio in comparison to conventional compact discs (CDs) and digital versatile discs (DVDs), whether and how high-resolution audio leads to an improved subjective listening experience remains unclear. The sound quality of conventional digital formats is deteriorated by temporal blur, which is caused by a high-cut filter applied to avoid aliasing of a digital sound source, resulting in spurious artificial sound energy before and after the actual sound onset. Using sound materials of high-resolution audio grade, this study investigated the effects of filter-induced temporal blur on the auditory neural pathway from the cochlea through the rostral brainstem by measuring the auditory brainstem responses (ABRs) of participants with normal hearing. The participants ( N = 24) listened to 0.1-ms clicks, with and without a high-cut filter of 22 kHz or 11 kHz applied to them. The amplitudes and latencies of five ABR waves (<10 ms) revealed no significant effects caused by filtering. The participants could not distinguish between the original and the 22-kHz filtered click sounds, while they could distinguish between the original and the 11-kHz filtered sounds. These results indicate that a CD-level anti-alias filter does not affect initial auditory processing and the sound difference is not discernible, at least for artificial sounds with a simple acoustic structure.