Humans normalize individual HRTFs from birth to recognize neutral timbre

Evidence

In auditory perceptions, adaptation is at work, allowing us to “normalize” the acoustical environment within which we listen. Imagine a scenario in which you and a colleague are conversing while walking down the street (a “dead” space), you enter a building foyer (a large reverberant space), take the elevator (a tiny space), and walk down a corridor (a distinctive reverberant space) into an open-plan office (a relatively dead, semi-reflective space). While you are conversing, your colleague’s voice is a constant factor in spite of the enormous changes in the acoustical environment. It is the same voice in different acoustical spaces. The same is true of live musical performances in different venues. A Steinway is a Steinway, a Strad is a Strad, but in different rooms. The only relatively constant factor in all of this is the direct sound. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 810 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: In-head localization stems from mismatched HRTFs and missing head tracking; Listeners continuously re-normalize distorted HRTFs using visual and motion cues; Human hearing normalizes wildly different acoustic environments to a constant source — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 810 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Sound localization from pinna cues is learned and specific to each person’s ear shape. #corroborates (0.90)
• Human hearing normalizes wildly different acoustic environments to a constant source #expands (0.85) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 810
• Individualized HRTFs only improve localization in planes requiring pinnae cues #qualifies (0.75)