Title: Influence of measurement methodology of head-related transfer functions on auditory perception

Author(s): ZHONG Xiaoli; XU Xiu;

Affiliation(s): School of Physics and Optoelectronics, South China University of Technology

Abstract: Head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) are the core of virtual auditory display and relevant applications. However, a standard method for HRTF measurements has not been established. This work examines the influence of different HRTF measurement methodologies on auditory perception. First, the diffusion-field equalization was proposed and applied to HRTFs of a single dummy head (KEMAR) from five different datasets. Then, the spectral deviations among the HRTFs were calculated and analyzed. Finally, a series of subjective listening experiments (including localization and discrimination experiments) were conducted. Results indicate the diffusion-field equalization is an effective pre-processing method which reduces the difference in HRTF magnitude spectra caused by different measurement methodologies. Moreover, the HRTFs from different measurement methodologies have similar localization performance below 12 kHz, whereas the inter-dataset differences in timbre are distinct leading to audible discrimination.