Modeling Auditory Distance Perception in Rooms

Although the direct-to-reverberant energy ratio is an important cue for distance perception in rooms, it is not known how it is determined by the auditory system. One clue is provided by certain systematic errors made by listeners, which can be modelled by calculating the direct energy from the impulse response using a fixed time window (thus including some early reflections). This model cannot explain, however, why distance perception depends on the presence of lateral reflections. Better results can be obtained with another model, which supposes that the (incomplete) separation of direct and reverberant energy is performed by the binaural system.