Rendering an immersive sound field using a virtual height loudspeaker: Effect of height-related room impulse responses

In order to provide consumers more enhanced and immersive experience in sound, most of the new multichannel reproduction formats highlight the significance of height-related information. In this paper, we investigated the influence of height-related room impulse responses when reproduced via various “height-loudspeakers,” including a virtual loudspeaker. Test participants listened to the corresponding sound fields and rated their perceived quality in terms of spaciousness and integrity. The results showed that perceived quality was affected by height loudspeaker positions and height signals, which was a specific room impulse response coupled with a virtual loudspeaker rendering process.