The effect of sound reproduction method on performance in sound source localization by visually impaired and normally sighted subjects

Authors:

• Anna Furmann,
• Ewa Barbara Skrodzka,
• Ł. Gizewski,
• P. Nowotny

Abstract

The study was undertaken to check the effect of 3D sound recording and reproduction methods on performance in localization of sound source by the visually impaired and normally sighted subjects. The performance was evaluated on the basis of the ability to identify the direction from which the sound comes and the direction of its propagation. The experiment involved a test in which the subjects were exposed to sounds reproduced by two methods of spatial reproduction: binaural (headphones) and Ambisonics (loudspeaker). The binaural recordings were reproduced through two types of headphones, open and closed ones, and the recordings were made with the help of a dummy head. The recordings for loudspeaker reproduction were made with the use of two microphone matrices, Octava and Panasonic. The subjects were adults and children, including blind and VIC. They had otologically normal hearing. The test included realization of three tasks. The first concerned identification of the direction from which sound has come from an immovable source, a rattle or a drum. In the second and third task, the subjects were asked to indicate the direction of motion of the source of sound (vehicle). For the adults, the method of recording and reproduction of sound had little effect on the test results. For the VIC, a significant difference was noted between the results of headphone and loudspeaker exposure, to the advantage of the headphone exposure. The method of binaural recording and sound exposure through headphones seems much more effective for auditory training of VIC.