Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Headphone localization of speech

D R Begault1, E M Wenzel

  • 1NASA-Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035.

Human Factors
|June 1, 1993
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Listeners can discern spatial audio cues from virtual sound sources using non-individualized head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). Despite some localization biases, speech stimuli filtered by HRTFs provide useful azimuth information for most users.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Direct comparison of the impact of head tracking, reverberation, and individualized head-related transfer functions on the spatial perception of a virtual speech source.

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. Audio Engineering Society·2002
Same author

Virtual acoustics, aeronautics, and communications.

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. Audio Engineering Society·2001
Same author

Survey of commercial airline pilots' hearing loss.

Perceptual and motor skills·1998
Same author

Three-dimensional audio versus head-down traffic alert and collision avoidance system displays.

The International journal of aviation psychology·1996
Same author

Multichannel spatial auditory display for speech communications.

Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. Audio Engineering Society·1994
Same author

Head-up auditory displays for traffic collision avoidance system advisories: a preliminary investigation.

Human factors·1993

Area of Science:

  • Acoustics
  • Psychoacoustics
  • Virtual Reality Audio

Background:

  • Three-dimensional acoustic display systems synthesize virtual sound sources using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs).
  • HRTFs capture direction-dependent spectral changes, primarily from the pinnae, crucial for spatial hearing.
  • Non-individualized HRTFs are increasingly used in virtual audio systems.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the spatial localization accuracy of headphone-presented speech stimuli filtered with non-individualized HRTFs.
  • To investigate individual differences in spatial perception using virtual acoustic displays.
  • To assess the usability of non-individualized HRTFs for conveying azimuth information.

Main Methods:

  • Eleven inexperienced subjects judged the apparent spatial location of speech stimuli.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Stimuli were filtered using non-individualized head-related transfer functions (HRTFs).
  • Localization errors, perceptual biases, and reversal rates were measured.

    • Main Results:

    • Approximately half of the subjects exhibited localization biases, shifting judgments toward median or lateral-vertical planes.
    • Perceived elevation was consistently higher than the actual source.
    • Significant individual differences were observed in distance judgments, with a notable percentage heard "inside the head".
    • Localization error and reversal rates were comparable to previous studies using noise stimuli.

    Conclusions:

    • Most listeners can extract useful azimuth information from speech stimuli processed with non-individualized HRTFs.
    • While biases exist, the fundamental spatial cues are preserved for basic localization.
    • Further research may refine HRTF personalization or signal processing to mitigate perceptual errors.