How does binaural audio mixed for headphones translate to loudspeaker setups in terms of listener preferences?

Abstract: While most of today’s music listening is being done through headphones, mixing techniques using binaural audio are still not widely implemented in modern music production. This study aims to help inform mixing engineers on the applicability of binaural processing for music production, with the specific focus on how binaurally processed audio translates to loudspeakers in terms of listener preference. In this study a listening test was performed where binaurally processed mixes where given preference ratings in relation to a reference mix. Each listener completed the test twice, once using headphones and once using loudspeakers. The test results for the two playback systems were then compared. Only one of 12 mixes showed a significant difference in preference ratings with playback system as the factor, but the reported ratings showed a large disagreement among the 13 test subjects. The results from the study are inconclusive, however they do not suggest that the binaural processing used for the stimuli suffers in terms of listener preference when played back over loudspeakers.