AES Show 2024 NY

The rapid advancement of immersive audio technologies has popularized binaural renderers that create 3D auditory experiences using head-related transfer functions (HRTFs). Various renderers with unique algorithms have emerged, offering head-tracking functionality for real-time adjustments to spatial audio perception. Building on our previous study, we compared binauralized music from five renderers with the dynamic head-tracking function enabled, focusing on how differences in HRTFs and algorithms affect listener perceptions. Participants assessed overall preference, spatial fidelity, and timbral fidelity by comparing paired stimuli. Consistent with our earlier findings, one renderer received the highest ratings for overall preference and spatial fidelity, while others rated lower in these attributes. Physical analysis showed that interaural time differences (ITD), interaural level differences (ILD), and frequency response variations contributed to these outcomes. Notably, hierarchical cluster analysis of participants' timbral fidelity evaluations revealed two distinct groups, suggesting variability in individual sensitivities to timbral nuances. While spatial cues, enhanced by head tracking, were generally found to be more influential in determining overall preference, the results also highlight that timbral fidelity plays a significant role for certain listener groups, indicating that both spatial and timbral factors should be considered in future developments.