Spatial audio systems create illusions of direction and space rather than reproducing them exactly

Evidence

Spatial and so-called 3D audio reproduction is an essential aspect of the enjoyment of sound, whether it is on a personal player via headphones, at home, or in the cinema. All of these systems rely on the application of acoustics and psychoacoustics to present an illusion of specific sound directions that are called “phantom images” to mimic real sound sources such as singers or musical instruments. They also attempt to give the listener an illusion of being in a space, which is often described as its “ambience.” — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 2189

Categorization

Category: Definitional Content

• DEFINE: Defines the terms ‘phantom images’ and ‘ambience’ that recur throughout audio engineering.

Related

• Spatial audio uses psychoacoustic illusions called phantom images to mimic real sound sources (similarity 0.97)
• Ambisonic reproduction synthesizes a sound field through codependent speaker arrays rather than direction-assigned channels (similarity 0.83)
• Recorded spatial content, not loudspeakers, dominates stereo perception (similarity 0.81)
• Uncorrelated ambient signals create an impression of directionless surround sound. (similarity 0.80)
• Recording technique is the prime determinant of spatial impressions in sound reproduction (similarity 0.80)
• Spatial envelopment requires uncorrelated ear signals, not a diffuse sound field (similarity 0.80)
• Auditory spatial information alone allows orientation in one’s surroundings. (similarity 0.79)
• Stereo reproduction injects room and speaker location cues unrelated to the recording (similarity 0.78)
• Modern immersive audio delivers perceptual clues rather than reconstructing real sound fields (similarity 0.78)