2022, Behavior Research Methods
In internet experiments on auditory perception, playback devices may be a confounding variable reducing internal validity. A procedure to remotely test multiple characteristics of playback devices does not currently exist. Thus, the main goals of this study were to (i) develop and (ii) evaluate a comprehensive, efficient, and easy-to-handle test procedure for the reliable control and identification of playback device characteristics in online experiments. Based on a counting task paradigm, the first part of the Headphone and Loudspeaker Test (HALT–Part I) was developed with which researchers can standardize sound level adjustments, detect stereo/mono playback, and assess lower frequency limits. In a laboratory study (N = 40), HALT–Part I was evaluated with four playback devices (circumaural and intra-aural headphones; external and laptop loudspeakers). Beforehand, the acoustical properties of all playback devices had been measured (e.g., sound pressure level, frequency response, total harmonic distortion). The analysis suggested that HALT–Part I has high test–retest reliability (rtt = .90 for level adjustment and rtt = .79 for stereo/mono detection) and is an efficient (3.5 minutes for completion) method to remotely test playback devices and listening conditions (sound level, stereo/mono playback). The procedure can help improve data quality in internet experiments.
Although virtual reality, video entertainment, and computer games are highly interested in three-dimensional reproduction of sound (including front, rear, and height channels), it remains unclear whether 3D-audio formats will intensify the emotional listening experience. There is currently no valid inventory for the objective measurement of immersive listening experiences resulting from audio playback formats with decreasing degrees of immersion (from 3D, to 5.1, stereo, and mono). The development of the Immersive Audio Quality Inventory (IAQI, say “Yuacky”) is considered to close this gap. An initial item list (N = 25) was derived from studies in virtual reality and spatial audio, supplemented by researcher-developed items and items extracted from historical descriptions. Psychometric evaluation was conducted by an online study (N = 222 valid cases). Based on controlled headphone playback, participants listened to four songs/pieces, each in the three formats of mono, stereo, and binaural 3D audio. The latent construct "immersive listening experience" was determined by probabilistic test theory (Item Response Theory) and by means of Many-Facet Rasch Measurement (MFRM). As a result, the specified MFRM model showed good model fit (62.69% explained variance). The final one-dimensional inventory consists of 10 items and will be made available in English and German.
2023, Behavior Research Methods
HALT (The Headphone and Loudspeaker Test) Part II is a continuation of HALT Part I. The main goals of this study (HALT Part II) were (a) to develop screening tests and strategies to discriminate headphones from loudspeakers, (b) to come up with a methodological approach to combine more than two screening tests, and (c) to estimate data quality and required sample sizes for the application of screening tests. Screening Tests A and B were developed based on psychoacoustic effects. In a first laboratory study (N = 40), the two tests were evaluated with four different playback devices (circumaural and intra-aural headphones; external and laptop loudspeakers). In a final step, the two screening tests A and B and a previously established test C were validated in an Internet-based study (N = 211). Test B showed the best single-test performance (sensitivity = 80.0%, specificity = 83.2%, AUC = .844). Following an epidemiological approach, the headphone prevalence (17.67%) was determined to calculate positive and negative predictive values. For a user-oriented, parameter-based selection of suitable screening tests and the simple application of screening strategies, an online tool was programmed. HALT Part II is assumed to be a reliable procedure for planning and executing screenings to detect headphone and loudspeaker playback. Our methodological approach can be used as a generic technique for optimizing the application of any screening tests in psychological research. HALT Part I and II complement each other to form a comprehensive overall concept to control for playback conditions in Internet experiments.
In evaluation of surround sound loudspeaker reproduction, perceptual effects are commonly analyzed as functions of different loudspeaker configurations. In this paper, a modeling approach based on acoustic properties of various reproduction formats is presented. A model of immersion in music listening is derived from the results of an experimental study analyzing the psychological concept of immersive experience in music. The proposed approach is evaluated in both descriptive and predictive capacities with respect to the relationship between immersion ratings and sound field features obtained from re-recordings of the stimuli using a spherical microphone array. Spatial sound field parameters such as inter-aural cross-correlation (IACC), diffuseness and directivity are found to be of particular relevance. Immersion is observed to reach a point of saturation with the number of loudspeakers, which is confirmed to be predictable from the physical properties of the sound field. Although subjective and content effects on immersion outweigh the impact of sound field features, the proposed approach is found to be suitable for predicting population-average ratings, i. e. immersion experienced by an average listener for new content. The proposed method could complement existing research on multichannel loudspeaker reproduction by establishing a more generalizable framework not dependent on particular speaker setups.
28.07 – 31.07.2021 (online), ICMPC/ESCOM, Link zum Abstract, Link zum Poster
28.07 – 31.07.2021 (online), ICMPC/ESCOM, Link zum Abstract, Link zum Video
02.09. – 03.09.2021 (online), Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Musikpsychologie e.V., Link zum Abstract, Link zum Poster
02.09. – 03.09.2021 (online), Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Musikpsychologie e.V., Link zum Abstract, Link zum Poster
03.11 – 06.11.2021 (Düsseldorf), Tonmeistertagung, Link zum Abstract
21.03 – 24.03.2022 (Stuttgart), DAGA, Link zum Poster
06.03. - 09.03.2023 (Hamburg), DAGA - 49. Jahrestagung für Akustik, Link zum Paper
06.03. - 09.03.2023 (Hamburg), DAGA - 49. Jahrestagung für Akustik, Link zum Paper
06.03. - 09.03.2023 (Hamburg), DAGA - 49. Jahrestagung für Akustik, Link zum Paper