Auditory room size perception: A comparison of real versus binaural sound-fields

Binaural simulation is an important tool in architectural acoustics auralisation, as well as research. The limits of nonindividualised and non-head-tracked binaural reproduction have been examined in numerous studies, especially with regard to auditory localisation. This study forms part of an investigation of whether simple binaural reproduction effectively conveys an impression of room size. For our first experiment, blindfolded subjects were led into different rooms, for which they estimated the size based on the sound of reproduced speech. For the second experiment, a different set of subjects listened to the same acoustic environments through binaural reproductions via headphones, again assessing the room size based on the sound. Results show a greater influence of reverberation for the headphone assessments. While only moderate correlations are achieved between the two experiments, the results of both have clarity index as the primary acoustical correlate, consistent with previous experiments by the authors.