auditory critical band

11.32  auditory critical band. (a) Frequency band within which the loudness of a band of continuously distributed sound of constant sound pressure level is independent of its bandwidth. (b) Frequency band of sound, being a portion of a continuous-spectrum noise covering a wide band, that contains a sound pressure level equal to that of a continuous pure tone centered in the critical band and just audible in the presence of the wide band noise. Unit, hertz (Hz).

Annotation              By “just audible” is meant audible in a specified fraction of the trials, for a specified manner of listening.