The relative influence of pitch and timbre on the apparent location of sound in the median sagittal plane

Listeners were requested to locate sounds originating in the median sagittal plane (MSP). The stimuli, 75-Msec pulses, were repeated at a rate of 200 times/sec and were filtered to transmit narrow bands centered about 0.63, 1.6, 2.5, or 6.3 kHz. Despite the sameness of pitch generated by all stimuli, Os perceived the 0.63-, 1.6-, and 2.5-kHz-centered sounds as originating low, middle, and high, respectively, in the MSP, regardless of their actual positions. The stimuli centered about 6.3 kHz, on the other hand, were located accurately by most Os. These findings were interpreted to mean that under conditions of inadequate auditory cues, timbre, not pitch, influences perceived elevation. The implication is that timbre also served as the cue for the apparent elevation of those sounds which, due to their high-frequency components, can be located accurately.