Virtual source elevation perception is personal but azimuth is predictable
Evidence
Vertical localization “blur” (uncertainty) is about 17° for an unfamiliar voice, about 9° for a familiar voice and 4° for white noise (Blauert, 1996). If we have no idea of the spectral content of a specific sound, there is no assurance that we would automatically perceive it at its true elevation. … We rely greatly on “plausibility” when localizing in complex situations. Aircraft are automatically assumed to be above us. Nothing is localized below the floor. Voices are where the lips are on the screen—the ventriloquism effect. If listeners are predisposed to think that sounds are coming from above, that is what they are likely to perceive; hence the emphasis on hovering helicopters and bird sounds in demonstrations of immersive sound systems. — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1762 (
#corroborates, via linked claim)
Categorization
- XREF: connects to: Perception variability splits into source-induced and receiver-related components — Dijk, Pim van, Physiology, Psychoacoustics and…, 5572; Sound localization by elevation is guided by plausibility, not just acoustics — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1762; Basic binaural cues cannot fully explain front-back and elevation judgments (+1 more)
Broader Connections
- Sound localization by elevation is guided by plausibility, not just acoustics
#corroborates(0.85) — , Toole, Floyd E - Sound reproduction-…, 1762 - Basic binaural cues cannot fully explain front-back and elevation judgments
#expands(0.80) - Spatial audio systems create illusions of direction and space rather than reproducing them exactly
#expands(0.75)