A speech intelligibility test conforming to the Modified Rhyme Test of ANSI S3.2 " Method for Measuring the Intelligibility of Speech Over Communication Systems " was conducted using a prototype 12-channel acoustic beamformer system. The target speech material (signal) was identified against speech babble (noise), with calculated signal-noise ratios of 0, 5 and 10 dB. The signal was delivered at a fixed beam orientation of 135° (re 90° as the frontal direction of the array) and the noise at 135° (co-located) and 0° (separated). A significant improvement in intelligibility from 57% to 73% was found for spatial separation for the same signal-noise ratio (0 dB). Significant effects for improved intelligibility due to spatial separation were also found for higher signal-noise ratios (5 and 10 dB).