Developing an in-car 3D audio system using the latest Virtual Audio Methods

A 3D virtual audio system optimized for in-car use is presented. The proposed system is based on cross-talk cancelation techniques to control the sound arriving at each of the listener’s ears. The low acoustic power requirements and well defined listener locations are beneficial to the optimisation of the system. However, the system must account for limitations such as restricted transducer positioning within the car interior as well as the reflections and reverberation inside the car. The system is based on a discretization of the Optimal Source Distribution (OSD)method, consisting of 3 pairs of transducers placed in the head lining and footwells of the vehicle. Crosstalk cancellation filters are produced from simulated Head Related Transfer Functions, providing flexibility of implementation in various car interiors and seating positions as well as avoiding the laborious and time-consuming process of measuring HRTFs adequate for use as crosstalk cancellation filters. Subjective evaluation of the system’s localization performance has been carried out as a means to assess its potential for binaural reproduction