Psychoacoustic Evaluation of Systems for Delivering Spatialized Augmented-Reality Audio

Two new lightweight systems for delivering spatialized, augmented-reality audio (SARA) are presented. Each comprises a set of earphone drivers coupled with "acoustically transparent" earpieces and a digital filter. Using the first system, subjects were able to localize virtual auditory space (VAS) stimuli with the same accuracy as when using earphones that are standard for presentation of VAS, while free-field localization performance was reduced only slightly. The only disadvantage of this system is that it has a poor low-frequency response. VAS localization performance using the second system is also as good as that with standard VAS presentation earphones, though free-field localization performance is degraded to a greater extent. This system has good low-frequency response, however, so its range of uses complements that of the first SARA system. Both systems are light and easily constructed from unmodified, commercially available products. They require little digital signal processing overhead and no special preamplifier, so they are ideally suited to mobile applications.

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