In-head localization stems from mismatched HRTFs and missing head tracking

Evidence

Head movements have long been assumed to be important to satisfactory externalization in binaural headphone reproduction (Toole, 1970). The brain protests when the musicians and the performance venue move with the head. But mismatched HRTFs are a logical contributing factor to the perceptual error. — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 290 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Early headphone-based localization research started with in-head rather than externalized images; Individualized HRTFs only improve localization in planes requiring pinnae cues; Dynamic head tracking restores externalized sound localization in binaural reproduction. (+11 more)

Related

• Head-motion-dependent sound changes are required for external sound localization (similarity 0.93)
• Lack of head-tracking dynamic cues causes headphone audio to sound internalized (similarity 0.92)
• Head movement resolves directional ambiguity and explains headphone sounds seeming internal (similarity 0.91)
• Dynamic head tracking restores externalized sound localization in binaural reproduction. (similarity 0.90)
• Headphone sounds are usually lateralized inside the head. (similarity 0.90)
• Head movement and pinna shape resolve cone-of-confusion ambiguities (similarity 0.89)
• Headphones sound ‘in the head’ because they fail to model head movement cues (similarity 0.88)
• Head symmetry creates a cone of directions where sound localization is ambiguous (similarity 0.87)
• Head-tracking binaural convolution yields convincing externalized spatial audio (similarity 0.87)
• Listeners continuously re-normalize distorted HRTFs using visual and motion cues (similarity 0.85)
• Head orientation is necessary because interaural level differences plateau off-midline (similarity 0.85)
• Head related transfer functions anchor sounds to visual cues in VR (similarity 0.84)
• Headphone binaural reproduction fails without dynamic head-movement cues (similarity 0.84)
• Headphone audio internalizes because static binaural cues signal an inside-the-head source (similarity 0.84)
• Visual-vestibular room matching is required for binaural externalization to persist (similarity 0.84)

Broader Connections

• Head movement resolves directional ambiguity and explains headphone sounds seeming internal #corroborates (0.95) — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 290
• Head-motion-dependent sound changes are required for external sound localization #corroborates (0.92)
• Dynamic head tracking restores externalized sound localization in binaural reproduction. #corroborates (0.90)
• Static binaural images sound inside the head until head movement is tracked #corroborates (0.88)
• Immersive headphone audio remains compromised without personalized HRTFs #expands (0.85)
• Head movement and pinna shape resolve cone-of-confusion ambiguities #corroborates (0.80)
• Individualized HRTFs only improve localization in planes requiring pinnae cues #complicates (0.78)
• Localization improves as we learn our own ears’ direction cues through experience #expands (0.75)
• Listeners continuously re-normalize distorted HRTFs using visual and motion cues #expands (0.74)
• Strong direct sound without supporting reflections causes in-head localization in loudspeaker listening #complicates (0.72) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 737
• Combining stereo cues produces spurious cues that confuse localization #expands (0.72)
• Humans normalize individual HRTFs from birth to recognize neutral timbre #expands (0.72)
• In-head sound localization may originate as a defensive response to ambiguous sources #complicates (0.70)