Psychophysical calibration of auditory range control in binaural synthesis with independent adjustment of virtual source loudness

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a study designed to evaluate the effectiveness of synthetic cues to the range of auditory images created via headphone display of virtual sound sources processed using individualized HRTFs. The particular focus of the study was to determine how well auditory range could be controlled when independent adjustment of loudness was also desired. Variation in perceived range of the resulting auditory spatial images was assessed using a two-alternative, forced choice procedure in which listeners indicated which of two successively presented sound sources seemed to be more closely positioned. The first of the two sources served as a fixed standard stimulus positioned using a binaural HRTF measured at ear level, 1.5 m from the listeners head at an azimuth angle of 120 deg. The second source served as a variable loudness comparison stimulus processed using the same pair of HRTFs, with the same interaural time difference but with a manipulated interaural level difference. From the obtained choice proportions for each pairwise comparison of stimuli, numerical scale values for auditory source range were generated using Thurstone’s Case IV method for indirect scaling. Results provide a basis for calibrated control over auditory range for virtual sources varying in loudness.