A Sound Externalization Algorithm Based on a Structural Head-Related Transfer Function Model and Reverberation
Yong Guk Kim, Hong Kook Kim, Yong Ju Lee, Dae Young Jang, In-Seon Jang, Kyeongok Kang · ITC-CSCC :International Technical Conference on Circuits Systems, Computers and Communications · 2009
In this paper, we propose a sound externalization method for out-of-the-head localization in a headphone listening environment. There have been several externalization methods proposed that use a head-related transfer function (HRTF) or early reflections. However, such conventional methods have drawbacks such as timbre distortion due to the use of a measured HRTF and reverberation. On the other hand, the proposed externalization method here integrates a model-based HRTF and reverberation. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method, white noise and several audio samples belonging to two different music genres are prepared. Subjective listening tests are then conducted to evaluate the perceptual quality and measure the perceptual distance. It is shown from the experiments that the proposed externalization method provides better audio quality and longer perceptual distance than the conventional methods.