Spatial audio teleconferencing: which way is better

This paper examines the two basic philosophies of spatial audio reproduction, with reference to their application to teleconferencing services. Sound Field Simulation, as exemplified by multiple loudspeakers techniques such as Ambisonics, encodes information about a remote or virtual sound field, and allows the reproduction of that field across a listening space. Alternatively, an application might employ Perceptual S nthesis, in which measured or simulated sound localisation cues (e.g. Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) data) are imposed on the signals reproduced over headphones or a suitably set-up pair of loudspeakers. The relative merits and drawbacks of each approach are discussed in terms of cost, implementation logistics, flexibility, specification and, critically, perceived performance