A study of 3D audio rendering by headphones

An efficient implementation of a three-dimensional audio rendering system (3D-ARS) system over headphones is presented and its ability to render natural spatial sound is analyzed. In its most straightforward implementation spatial rendering is achieved by convolving a monophonic signal with the Head related transfer function (HRTF). Several methods were proposed in the literature to improve the naturalness of the spatial sound and the ability of the headphones' wearer to localize sound sources. Among these methods, externalization, by incorporation of room reflections, personalization to the anthropometric attributes of the user, and the introduction of head movements, are known to yield improved performance. This work provides a unified and flexible platform incorporating the various optional components together with software tools to statistically analyze their contribution. Preliminary statistical analysis suggests that the additional components indeed contribute to the overall localization ability of the user.