The effect of listener head movement on perceived envelopment and apparent source width

Abstract

Current research examining listeners' perceived spatial impression of a concert hall relies on a fixed-head worldview, since the overwhelming majority of listening tests conducted to determine subjective spaciousness [listener envelopment (LEV) and apparent source width (ASW)] has required listeners to keep their heads fixed. Such a worldview is an incomplete one, because listeners make noticeable exploratory head movements while evaluating sonic environments, including the more common task of source localization as well as the more involved task of evaluating the spaciousness of a concert hall. This study investigates the role of listener head movement in the evaluation of perceived LEV and ASW under 15 different concert hall conditions simulated over eight loudspeakers using Virtual Microphone Control. The conditions consist of both varying ratios of front-to-back energy and varying levels of cross-correlated reverberant energy. Head movements are monitored in terms of angular rotation (azimuth, elevation, and roll) using a head tracker while listeners are prompted to give subjective ratings of LEV and ASW ranging from 1 (least) to 7 (most). The listening tests are then repeated while subjects are asked to keep their heads fixed. The head movements are analyzed and results of the tests are compared.