Final answer:
Binaural hearing primarily allows us to determine the location of a sound's source, using the differences in intensity and timing of the sound arriving at each ear.
Step-by-step explanation:
Binaural hearing allows us to compare the signals coming from the right and left ears to determine the location of the sound's source. This process utilizes interaural level differences and interaural timing differences. Sound will be more intense (louder) and will arrive slightly earlier at the ear that is closer to the origin of the sound. For instance, if a sound is coming from the left, it will be louder and arrive sooner at the left ear than the right due to the sound waves being blocked or attenuated by the head. The brain processes these differences to construct the sound's location in the horizontal plane.
The pitch and loudness of a sound are sensed differently. The tectorial membrane inside the cochlea vibrates at different positions based on the sound's frequency, which is primarily how pitch is detected. Loudness is perceived based on the overall intensity of the sound waves reaching the ear, but binaural cues are specifically for localization and not for detecting pitch or loudness directly.