Loudspeaker level differences become inter-ear phase differences via cross talk

Evidence

In natural auditory scenes, the head shadow can contribute to the abnormal representation of the ILD. Consider an example in which head shadow renders a sound inaudible in one ear but audible in the other. In this scenario, the representation of the ILD in the auditory system will be larger than that present in the environment, causing distortions to the perception of space. Consider also a listener with small, 5-dB asymmetry in hearing. For example, if his hearing is 5 dB better in the right ear than in the left ear, a sound presented to his left ear will be associated with an ILD that is 10 dB larger than when a sound is presented to his right ear. The auditory system may be unable to compensate for these distortions, leading to disruptions in the perception of space. — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1582 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Phantom center images reduce speech intelligibility due to interaural crosstalk; Crosstalk cancellation delivers binaural separation through loudspeakers — Toole, Floyd E, Sound reproduction- the acoustics and…, 304; Crosstalk cancellation can expand the stereo soundstage from ±30° to ±90° (+7 more)

Broader Connections

• Panning between two speakers recreates a phantom source positioned by interaural phase shift #expands (0.88)
• Binaural phase disparities improve tone detection by up to 25 dB. #expands (0.80)
• Mixing consoles must correct for amplitude variation arising from loudspeaker phase and level interactions #qualifies (0.75)
• A 5-dB hearing asymmetry doubles the perceived interaural level difference #expands (0.75) — Jennifer Lentz, Psychoacoustics- Perception of Normal…, 1582
• Reversing a tone’s phase in one ear lowers its detection threshold in noise #expands (0.75)