Aalto Acoustics Lab

Individualized Virtual Monitoring (IVMo)

Individualized Virtual Monitoring (IVMo) is a research collaboration with Genelec Oy that examines the differences between measured and simulated head-related transfer functions (HRTFs) on technical and perceptual levels. The goal is to assess the benefits of using simulated, individual HRTFs in headphone-based virtual monitoring applications.

Measurement of HRTFs in Multichannel room

Description

IVMo investigates how closely virtual loudspeaker setups can replicate the experience of listening to real loudspeakers when individualized HRTFs are used. For each listener, we compare HRTFs obtained from acoustic measurements with HRTFs simulated by first creating a 3D mesh of the head via photogrammetry and then computing the HRTFs using the boundary element method (BEM). We analyze how these measured and simulated HRTFs differ in key technical aspects, such as spectral characteristics and localization cues. In parallel, listening experiments examine how such differences affect perceived coloration, externalization, and the clarity and stability of sound source positions. By combining objective metrics with subjective evaluations, the project aims to determine whether simulated, photogrammetry-based HRTFs provide benefits for critical listening and mixing tasks in virtual monitoring solutions.