Binaural reproduction techniques are essential for personal spatial audio reproduction over headphones, earbuds, head-mounted displays, or loudspeaker arrays. In addition to lateral localization and perceived scene width, the success metrics of binaural reproduction methods include: elevation fidelity, front/back distinction (unambiguous localization of sounds presented in front or back), externalization (the impression that the reproduced sound originates from outside of the listener’s head), and timbre reproduction (minimizing artificial room tone or spectral coloration). In this study, we propose a methodology for the subjective evaluation and performance comparison of binaural reproduction enhancement methods. It aims to consistently elicit these subjective attributes in view of the wide variation of audio source types, playback conditions, and signal processing techniques that differentiate binaural reproduction circumstances in consumer applications. We report on some preliminary results of an experimental survey utilizing this methodology, where three binaural rendering methods are compared in a single-source spatialization scenario and a controlled headphone listening environment, without artificial reverberation, listener-dependent personalization, head movement compensation, or accompanying visual cues.
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https://aes2.org/publications/elibrary-page/?id=22951
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