Respirator mask speech enhancement apparatus and method

A method of enhancing speech for a wearer of a respirator mask that attenuates acoustic energy passed through the respirator mask at one or more frequency ranges of speech, the method comprising:

• detecting acoustic energy in a clean air envelope of the respirator mask using a microphone;
• delivering a speech signal to a controller from the microphone, wherein the speech signal is indicative of the detected acoustic energy within a first frequency range;
• and
• delivering an output signal to a speaker to compensate for the attenuation of acoustic energy passed through the respirator mask, wherein the output signal causes the speaker to emit compensating acoustic energy outside of the clean air envelope in one or more predetermined attenuated frequency ranges that cover less than all of the first frequency range, wherein the one or more predetermined attenuated frequency ranges are selected in response to the one or more frequency ranges of speech attenuated by the respirator mask, and wherein the compensating acoustic energy comprises a predetermined attenuated amplitude profile over each predetermined attenuated frequency range of the one or more predetermined attenuated frequency ranges.