Critical band theory

Critical band theory describes how our ear processes sounds in specific frequency ranges called "bands." When we hear complex sounds like speech or music, our auditory system groups frequencies into these bands, making it easier to analyze and distinguish different sounds. Within a critical band, sounds can interfere with each other, affecting our perception of loudness and clarity. This concept helps explain phenomena like masking, where a loud sound makes it hard to hear softer sounds nearby in frequency. Overall, the theory highlights how our hearing is tuned to interpret sounds efficiently by focusing on these frequency segments.