Direct-to-reverberant ratio threshold for localization in concert halls

Direct-to-reverberant ratio threshold for localization was studied with anechoic orchestra instrument recordings in auralized concert halls. Excerpts of anechoic music were convolved with spatial impulse responses and reproduced with a multichannel loudspeaker system in anechoic chamber. Participants adjusted direct sound level in order to explore the transition range of localizability, with separate tasks for precise and imprecise localization. Halls with contrasting acoustics, and excerpts with pairs of instruments from the main orchestra instrument families, were used to estimate the range of influence of hall and excerpt. Statistical analysis was done using linear mixed models. Estimate for the localization threshold of halls was between –2. 7 dB to 1.7 dB direct-to-reverberant ratio in the 700–4000 Hz frequency band. Hall had a significant effect on the threshold (around 3 dB), and excerpt had a significant effect on the imprecise threshold (around 4 dB). The interaction of hall and excerpt was also found significant for the imprecise threshold. Transition between imprecise and precise localization was associated with a 5–8 dB direct sound level difference.