The influence on predicted harmonic and distortion product generation of the position of the nonlinearity within cochlear micromechanical models.

Numerical techniques are used to explore the influence on the predicted basilar membrane (BM) response of the position of the nonlinearity within the micromechanical feedback loop of an active nonlinear cochlear model. This position is found to influence both the harmonic and distortion product spectra of the predicted BM response. The BM motion at the fundamental or primary frequencies is not significantly altered by the position of the nonlinearity, however, provided that the gain is appropriately adjusted. The observed effects are explained in terms of the frequency responses of the elements within the micromechanical feedback loop.