A comparison of localization performance with two auditory cue synthesizers

Auditory localization cue synthesizers capable of presenting three-dimensional sounds over headphones have been constructed. These synthesizers incorporate the transfer algorithms required for optimizing a listener´s ability to determine the apparent direction of sound sources. The pilot study reported compared subjects´ localization performance with two different prototype synthesizers. The subjects´ ability to perceive the direction of target sounds presented in the azimuth plane was measured with each system. Differences in localization performance between the two synthesizers were found in certain areas of the azimuth plane. It is noted that these results are useful in characterizing localization performance using digitally synthesized sound, and eventually will facilitate the application of three-dimensional sound in flight simulators and operational cockpits