alternate binaural loudness balance test

hearing test

Also known as: ABLB test

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Last updated

June 17, 2026

Quick Summary

The alternate binaural loudness balance test is a hearing test used to assess "recruitment," which is a rapid increase in perceived loudness above a certain threshold. This phenomenon is often associated with sensorineural hearing loss. In this test, a person with hearing loss in one ear is asked to adjust the loudness of a tone in the normal ear to match the loudness of a tone in the impaired ear. By repeating this at various intensity levels, the presence and degree of recruitment can be determined. This information is valuable for understanding the nature of the hearing impairment and for determining the potential benefit of hearing aids.1

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human ear
Audiometry
…can be measured by the alternate binaural loudness balance test. The subject is asked to set the controls so that the loudness of the tone heard in the defective ear matches that of the tone heard in the normal ear. By repeating the comparison at several intensity levels, the presence…
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…can be measured by the alternate binaural loudness balance test. The subject is asked to set the controls so that the loudness of the tone heard in the defective ear matches that of the tone heard in the normal ear. By repeating the comparison at several intensity levels, the presence…
Read More