Direct sound determines localization, loudness, and perceived spectrum quality

Evidence

The first sound to arrive at the listening location, the direct sound, defines the localization of sound images, initiates the precedence effect that permits localization in reflective spaces, and provides an initial reference for comparison to later arriving sounds that, combined, result in perceptions of both spatial effects and sound quality. … From the very beginning of my subjective/objective examinations, listeners were unambiguously attracted to loudspeakers with flat and smooth anechoic on-axis (direct sound) performance. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1546

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the precedence effect and to the earlier chapter on direct sound vs. room curves, and to Chapter 5 perceptual spectrum work. — connects to: The first arriving sound wave dominates perceived localization regardless of level — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1564; Delayed loudspeakers preserve direct-sound localization in public venues.; Vision dominates hearing in localization, identification, and size judgment — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 873 (+12 more)

Broader Connections

• Sound localization is best for frontal sounds and at low and high frequencies #expands (0.82)
• Timbral quality dominates perceived sound quality over spatial reproduction #complicates (0.75) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 2375
• The gap between direct sound and reverberation encodes the perceived size of a space #expands (0.72) — David Howard, Jamie Angus, coustics and Psychoacoustics, 1776
• Uncorrelated noise from surround speakers creates enveloping source perception. #expands (0.72) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1914
• Perceived loudness does not map one-to-one onto acoustic amplitude #complicates (0.70) — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 616
• Reverberator pre-delay controls perceived source distance independently of loudness ratio #qualifies (0.70) — Ville Pulkki, Matti Karjalainen, Communication Acoustics- An…, 1527