Subjective selection of head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) based on spectral coloration and interaural time differences (ITD) cues

The present study describes an HRTF subjective individualization procedure in which a listener selects from a database those HRTFs that pass several perceptual criteria. Earlier work has demonstrated that listeners are as likely to select a database HRTF as their own when judging externalization, elevation, and front/back discriminability. The procedure employed in this original study requires individually measured ITDs. The present study modifies the original procedure so that individually measured ITDs are unnecessary. Specifically, a standardized ITD is used, in place of the listener's ITD, to identify those database minimum- phase HRTFs with desirable perceptual properties. The selection procedure is then repeated for one of the preferred minimum-phase HRTFs and searches over a database of ITDs. Consistent with the original study, listeners prefer a small subset of HRTFs; in contrast, while individual listeners show clear preferences for some ITDs over others, no small subset of ITDs appears to satisfy all listeners.