We propose the time-domain loudness model with static nonlinearity (TDLM-SNL), a cascade cochlear model with memoryless gain saturators. By separating linear passive and nonlinear active paths, the model reproduces key cochlear features, including compressive growth, level-dependent frequency tuning, and both cubic and quadratic distortion products. Moreover, polynomial nonlinearities provide explicit control over the strength of nonlinear terms, which can reduce higher-order harmonics compared to the hyperbolic tangent. These results suggest that TDLM-SNL provides an efficient framework that may be applied to large-scale auditory simulation and hearing impairment modeling.
Huang et al. (Mon,) studied this question.