Comparison between Objective and Threshold‐Shift Methods of Measuring Real‐Ear Attenuation of External Sound by Earphones

The attenuation of low‐frequency external sound by MX41/AR earphone cushions appears greater when measured by the threshold‐shift method than when measured by an objective real‐ear method. It is suggested that the objective measurements have greater validity, because threshold‐shift measurements are subject to the influence of masking by earphone‐induced physiological noise.