Extension of perceived source width using sound field reproduction systems

Abstract

We propose a method to extend the perceived spatial width of a virtual sound source using an array of loudspeakers. In general, the control of perceived source width or apparent source width (ASW) has been attempted by decreasing the inter-aural correlation, i.e., the correlation between two signals on the left and right ears. For this purpose, numerous decorrelators have been proposed for stereo loudspeakers or headphones. However, most of these techniques are inadequate for the sound field reproduction system incorporating multiple loudspeakers. For sound field reproduction, the extension of source width has to be realized with over a large listening area. In order to design a spatial decorrelator that can meet these requirements, we design a proper target sound field that has reduced correlation over a defined zone of interest. The performance of the proposed method is investigated by examining the inter-channel correlation coefficient of the reproduced sound field over a wide area.