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How Does Binaural Audio Mixed for Headphones Translate to Loudspeaker Setups in Terms of Listener Preferences?

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How Does Binaural Audio Mixed for Headphones Translate to Loudspeaker Setups in Terms of Listener Preferences? How does binaural audio mixed for headphones translate to loudspeaker setups in terms of listener preferences? Ian Eiderbo Audio Technology, bachelor's level 2021 Luleå University of Technology Department of Social Sciences, Technology and Arts How does binaural audio mixed for headphones translate to loudspeaker setups in terms of listener preferences? 2 Abstract While most of today’s music listening is being done through headphones, mixing techniques using binaural audio are still not widely implemented in modern music production. This study aims to help inform mixing engineers on the applicability of binaural processing for music production, with the specific focus on how binaurally processed audio translates to loudspeakers in terms of listener preference. In this study a listening test was performed where binaurally processed mixes where given preference ratings in relation to a reference mix. Each listener completed the test twice, once using headphones and once using loudspeakers. The test results for the two playback systems were then compared. Only one of 12 mixes showed a significant difference in preference ratings with playback system as the factor, but the reported ratings showed a large disagreement among the 13 test subjects. The results from the study are inconclusive, however they do not suggest that the binaural processing used for the stimuli suffers in terms of listener preference when played back over loudspeakers. 3 Table of contents How does binaural audio mixed for headphones translate to loudspeaker setups in terms of listener preferences? ......................................................................................................................................... 2 Abstract ............................................................................................................................................... 3 1. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Head related transfer functions (HRTFs) .................................................................................... 5 1.3 Listening and monitoring on loudspeakers vs. headphones. ......................................................... 6 1.4 Binaural processing .................................................................................................................... 8 1.5 Compatibility issues ................................................................................................................... 8 1.6 The research question. ............................................................................................................... 8 2. Method ......................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1 Stimuli .................................................................................................................................... 10 2.1.1 Processing method for binaural positioning ........................................................................... 11 2.1.2 Measurements of Ambeo Orbit ............................................................................................. 11 2.1.3 Panning ................................................................................................................................ 13 2.2 Subjects ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.3 Procedure ................................................................................................................................ 13 3. Results and Analysis ...................................................................................................................... 14 3.1 Preference with playback system as factor. ................................................................................ 14 3.2 Testing significance for preference differences between stimuli and the reference. ..................... 17 4. Discussion ..................................................................................................................................... 18 4.1 Comparing preference of stimuli with playback system as factor. .............................................. 18 4.2 Comparing preference of different stimuli with processing as factor. ......................................... 18 4.3 Keywords gathered from listener survey. .................................................................................. 19 4.3.1 Key points from listener comments ....................................................................................... 20 4.4 Critique of method .................................................................................................................. 21 4.5 Findings .................................................................................................................................. 21 5. References .................................................................................................................................... 22 6. Appendix ...................................................................................................................................... 23 6.1 Raw data ................................................................................................................................. 23 6.2 Written instructions for listeners ............................................................................................... 30 4 1. Introduction This research aims to gain insight into how binaural processing for headphones affects listener preference when played back on loudspeakers. This is done by letting listeners rate their preference for mixes that use binaural processing on different elements in a mix in relation to a reference that is free from binaural processes. 1.1 Background Today the playback systems of consumers look different to what they once did. With the advent of the iPod and smartphones, listening to music in headphones (the term “headphones” will be used to refer to both headphones and earphones in this study if a distinction is not necessary) has become the most common way to experience music (Zinga, 2011). According to a survey done by IFPI, more than 60% of music listening time worldwide was done on either mobile devices or computers this year (IFPI, 2019). For example, in China, India and Mexico almost every music listener uses their smartphone for music playback. On the contrary, in the survey done by IFPI only 8% of the listening time was on a HIFI system. This suggests that few listeners experience music in the sweet spot with loudspeakers correctly set up in the same way that audio engineers monitor music, and that most listeners instead listen to music through headphones. Still, it is considered common practice among audio engineers to primarily monitor on loudspeakers and to use headphones for secondary checking, performing specific tasks or when the conditions for using loudspeakers are less than optimal. With the advances in technology seen during the 21st century more music is also being produced at home. In recent years, the term “bedroom producer” has gone from not only indicating an amateur producer but to also contain a group of professional music makers contributing a significant part of the music that is available to the public today. Although a well thought out monitoring environment demonstrably can produce successful results for different kinds of playback systems, a lot can be achieved without overly expensive control rooms. For the bedroom producer, using headphones is a convenient solution to the problem of poor acoustic treatment and possibly a well-suited monitoring system for production of music since so much music ends up being played over headphones/earbuds. According to Owsinski (2014) most monitoring practices work well if the audio engineer is familiar with the sound of the system. At the same time, he makes the case that music should be mixed for good translation to a wide range of playback systems. With so many listeners experiencing music mostly through headphones today one might ask if standard monitoring and mixing practices are truly the most suitable to optimize general listener experience for the widest audience. Another question is whether optimizing for playback on headphones is under-used in audio engineering, for instance using binaural or HRTF-techniques on one or several elements of a mix. The latter question is the one being examined in this study. 1.2 Head related transfer functions (HRTFs) Francis Rumsey (2011) writes in his article that “The term binaural audio is commonly used to refer to systems or techniques that capture or simulate “head-related” signals containing natural acoustic differences between the two ears.” (page 672). For binaural representation of audio, the left and right channel of the audio content normally needs to be isolated between the listener’s two ears, like in the case with headphones. There are however techniques utilizing controlled crosstalk 5 cancellation that can create binaural audio for loudspeaker setups, but in this study the use of the term “binaural” will refer to techniques for audio played back over headphones. The HRTF is an important aspect of how we hear sounds and the localization
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