Interaural differences in sound intensity and phase (that is arrival or onset times) are used to compute the location of a sound source. Intensity or Loudness refers to the fact that sounds from the ear opposite the sound source will be attenuated, and phase differences refers to the fact that the auditory system is even sensitive the differences in arrival time at the two ears on the order of 10 microseconds. These cues are initially processed in the superior olivary nucleus which receives bilateral inputs from the cochlear nuclei (see below).
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