Auditory perception stability evaluation comparing binaural and loudspeaker Ambisonic presentations of dynamic virtual concert auralizations

J Acoust Soc Am. 2021 Jan;149(1):246. doi: 10.1121/10.0002942.

Abstract

Auralizations can be computed in a variety of ways as well as be rendered over different sound reproduction systems. They are used as a design tool in architectural projects and for fundamental studies on spatial perception and cognition, hence requiring reliability and confidence in the obtained results. This study assessed this reliability through auditory perception stability by comparing the perceived differences between two rendering systems for a given set of second-order Ambisonic auralizations: virtual loudspeaker binaural rendering over head-tracked headphones versus 32-loudspeaker rendering. Anechoic extracts of jazz pieces have been recorded and presented in various acoustic conditions over these two systems, evaluated on the following criteria: Readability, distance, listener envelopment (LEV), apparent source width (ASW), reverberance, and loudness. Results show that consistent significant differences between scene conditions are comparably perceived across the two systems. However, significant effects of the sound reproduction system were observed for ASW, LEV, and reverberance in some configurations.

MeSH terms

  • Acoustic Stimulation
  • Acoustics
  • Auditory Perception*
  • Humans
  • Music
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sound Localization*
  • Sound*
  • Space Perception