Head-tracking externalises sounds that otherwise seem stuck inside the head.

Evidence

The other problem with binaural presentation is that the stereo image does not change as the listener moves their head. This is not a natural effect and is one of the reasons that binaural signals, especially those from normal-intensity stereo sources, appear within the head. In order to avoid this effect, it would be necessary to detect the head movement and adjust the signals to the two ears to take account of the change in head direction. When this is done, the sounds are properly externalized, and the effect can be quite dramatic! — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2249

Categorization

• STORYSTEM: A fiction where a character only ever hears recorded music as inside-the-skull unless the system tracks their head — a device for exploring embodied listening or dissociation.