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Assessment of Sagittal-Plane Sound Localization Performance in Spatial-Audio Applications

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The Technology of Binaural Listening

Part of the book series: Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing ((MASP))

Abstract

Sound localization in sagittal planes, SPs, including front-back discrimination, relies on spectral cues resulting from the filtering of incoming sounds by the torso, head and pinna. While acoustic spectral features are well-described by head-related transfer functions, HRTFs, models for SP localization performance have received little attention. In this article, a model predicting SP localization performance of human listeners is described. Listener-specific calibrations are provided for 17 listeners as a basis to predict localization performance in various applications. In order to demonstrate the potential of this listener-specific model approach, predictions for three applications are provided, namely, the evaluation of non-individualized HRTFs for binaural recordings, the assessment of the quality of spatial cues for the design of hearing-assist devices and the estimation and improvement of the perceived direction of phantom sources in surround-sound systems.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    These and all other HRTFs are from http://www.kfs.oeaw.ac.at/hrtf.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank H. S. Colburn and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. This research was supported by the Austrian Science Fund, FWF, project P 24124–N13.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria

    R. Baumgartner, P. Majdak & B. Laback

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  1. R. Baumgartner
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  2. P. Majdak
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  3. B. Laback
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Correspondence to P. Majdak .

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  1. Fak. Elektrotechnik, LS Allgm.Elektrotechn.+Akustik, Univ. Bochum, Bochum, Germany

    Jens Blauert

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Baumgartner, R., Majdak, P., Laback, B. (2013). Assessment of Sagittal-Plane Sound Localization Performance in Spatial-Audio Applications. In: Blauert, J. (eds) The Technology of Binaural Listening. Modern Acoustics and Signal Processing. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37762-4_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-37762-4_4

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-37761-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-37762-4

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