Perceptual evaluation on the influence of individualized near-field head-related transfer functions on auditory distance localization

Abstract

It is desired that spatial audio for virtual reality is able to reproduce various auditory localization information so as to recreate virtual source at different directions and distances. Distance-dependent binaural cue (binaural level difference (ILD), loudness, as well as environmental reflections are considered as auditory distance localization cues. In the case of free and near-field within about 1.0 m, the binaural cue which is encoded in near-field head-related transfer function (HRTFs) is an absolute and dominant distance localization cue [D. S. Brungart, JASA, 1999]. However, HRTFs depending on individualized and non-individualized HRTFs are usually used in spatial audio synthesis. In the present work, the perceptual influence of individualized HRTFs distance localization is evaluated by a psychoacoustic experiment. The binaural signals with various bandwidths are synthesized by filtering the input stimuli with individualized and non-individualized near-field HRTFs and then reproduced by headphone. Preliminary results of virtual source localization experiment indicate that individualized HRTFs influences little on distance localization at low frequencies but have some influence at mid and high frequency. [This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China, Grant No. 11574090.]