The maximum audible low-pass cutoff frequency for speech

Speech energy beyond 8 kHz is often audible for listeners with normal hearing. Limits to audibility in this frequency range are not well described. This study assessed the maximum audible low-pass cutoff frequency for speech, relative to full-bandwidth speech. The mean audible cutoff frequency was approximately 13 kHz, with a small but significant effect of talker sex. Better pure tone thresholds at extended high frequencies correlated with higher audible cutoff frequency. These findings demonstrate that bandlimiting speech even at 13 kHz results in a detectable loss for the average normal-hearing listener, suggesting there is information regarding the speech signal beyond 13 kHz.