Spatial Sound With Loudspeakers and Its Perception: A Review of the Current State

This paper reviews the current state of loudspeaker-based spatial sound reproduction methods from technical perspective as well as perceptual perspective. A nomenclature is developed that allows for a strict separation between these two perspectives. The physical fundamentals, practical realization, and results from perceptual studies are discussed for a number of well-established and emerging reproduction techniques. Further, the paper outlines novel approaches to spatial sound evaluation in terms of perceived quality and provides a comparison of current approaches.