Speaker
Description
This study examines the impact of real-time listener position tracking on binaural audio reproduction using loudspeakers in automotive settings. The system employs headrest-integrated speakers in combination with crosstalk cancellation (CTC), a technique known for its high sensitivity to listener position. Even minor head movements can lead to substantial performance degradation, particularly at higher frequencies, where small displacements induce significant variations in the acoustic transfer function matrix between the loudspeakers and the listener’s ears. In this work, a non-adaptive CTC system optimized for a reference listening position is experimentally compared with an adaptive approach based on position-dependent filtering. Measurements conducted in a vehicle cabin indicate that the non-adaptive system is highly susceptible to small head movements, whereas the adaptive system maintains consistent performance. The findings highlight the critical role of listener tracking in achieving reliable binaural reproduction for automotive applications employing crosstalk cancellation.