Assessment of sagittal-plane sound localization performance in spatial-audio applications

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 SPlocalization performance have received little attention. In this article, a model predicting SPlocalization performance of human listeners is described. Listener-specific calibrations are provided for 17listeners 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.