Crosstalk cancellation delivers binaural separation through loudspeakers

Evidence

Loudspeaker-reproduced sound is always externalized but normally cannot deliver the binaural information separately to the ears. However, it is possible to process the left and right signals radiated by the loudspeakers so that the direct sounds arriving at the ears of a listener in the sweet spot are very close approximations to correct binaural signals—the acoustical crosstalk has been cancelled. When this is done well, the left stereo loudspeaker delivers sound almost exclusively to the left ear and the right stereo loudspeaker to the right ear. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 304

In the 1990s I supervised the creation of a system called Harman VMAx (Virtual Multi-Axis), that employed the “transaural” crosstalk cancelling method developed by Cooper and Bauck (1989). In addition to cancelling the crosstalk, it could synthesize phantom loudspeakers at specific angles. For example, it could generate a credible illusion of a 5-channel surround system 80. (±30°, 0° and ±90°) °from two loudspeakers placed at ±10°, as on either side of a small TV or computer screen (Toole, 1998). — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 309

Categorization

• DEFINE: Defines acoustical crosstalk cancellation as a means of delivering binaural information over loudspeakers to the sweet spot.
• XREF: Core topic in the reader’s loudspeaker/room psychoacoustics interest — sweet-spot dependence of crosstalk-cancelled spatial audio. — connects to: Matrixed quadraphonic downmixing produced crosstalk that shrank the listening position.; Binaural headphone tests can replicate real-time loudspeaker listening; Near-field listening exposes all of stereo’s array crosstalk colorations. (+5 more)
• SEED: Angle for an article or demo note: how virtual surround synthesis from a pair of drivers works and where it breaks down.
• corroborated: 4 independent passages support this claim — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 304; Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 309

Broader Connections

• Crosstalk cancellation can expand the stereo soundstage from ±30° to ±90° #expands (0.90)
• Converting stereo to binaural sound requires modeling cross-coupling between speakers #expands (0.85) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2252
• Loudspeaker level differences become inter-ear phase differences via cross talk #exemplifies (0.80)
• Binaural recordings must be headphone-based because cross-ear coupling destroys the illusion #complicates (0.80)