Differences in sound-source localization in reverberant environments that depend on stimulus-type and mode of presentation

Abstract

One interesting aspect of sound-source localization in reverberant environments is that different stimuli (e.g., speech versus noise) can elicit different spatial sensations at the same delays between the direct sound and its reflections. For example, a given delay between a single simulated direct sound and a delayed copy presented from a different location may elicit the sensation of either a single sound located at or near its source for speech while a noise stimulus under otherwise the same conditions might be perceived as a direct sound with echoes. Furthermore, presenting stimuli over headphones versus loudspeakers can further modify spatial perception for the same stimulus conditions. This modeling study will explore reasons for these two interesting differences of behavioral outcome, using simulation tools developed in Montagne and Zhou (JASA, 2018) and Pastore and Braasch (JASA, 2020).