Impact of HRTFs on Spatial Quality Perception of Environmental Sounds in a Virtual Environment

Abstract: Spatial audio can greatly benefit players with more precise localization and larger panoramas in which sounds can be placed. Since headphones are being shown to have a large usage as a playback method for players, in turn raises the importance of being able to deliver spatial mixes through the medium. A virtual game environment was generated and implemented with various sounds to form a soundscape in which the subjects would traverse. Two audio rendering methods were implemented as two audio versions in the game, HRTF and stereo. They were evaluated by the subjects with the use of a set of attributes related to spatial quality perception. Results showed that the HRTF rendered version were both preferred among subjects and was rated higher amongst listed spatial attributes.