Median Plane Mislocalization of Virtual Sound Presented through Headphones

Spatial audio is one of the promising techniques for enriched audio media in the next generation. Fundamental techniques of signal processing to create spatial audio have been developed and prevalent in this research field. But special attention must be payed in applying them to practical applications, otherwise the sound could be perceived differently from what was intended. This study focuses on the localization of virtual sound created using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) and presented through headphones. Concentrating on the perception of sound in the median plane and utilizing distance correlation of the spectral shapes of HRTFs as a similarity measure, we investigated potential directions of mislocalization through calculation. The results showed that human listeners could easily perceive the frontal sound as if it were coming from the back directions, and such mislocalization could be more likely when the sound is virtually created and presented through headphones without calibration.