[71 dB]

Whenever I listen to a binaural recordings, I get a similar feeling of coldness as if I was listening to the sounds in a cold environment. Today it came to me. It all makes sense now!

My head is rather small. The dummy heads used to create the binaural recordings are probably larger than my own head. This means that for example the ITD values are a little bit too large for my head. However, the speed of sound isn't constant. It depends of various things. Temperature affects the speed of sound a lot. At 0°C (32° F) the speed of sound is about 96 % of what it is at 25°C (77°F) and the resulting ITD values are about 4 % larger. Since binaural recordings offer an illusion of realism, my spatial hearing recognises the ITD values to be in line with what I hear in cold environments and I get the feeling of coldness.

So, assuming that the binaural recordings were done with a dummy head modeled after an "average" head:

People with large head should get a feeling of warmth when listening to binaural recordings.
People with average head size shouldn't get a feeling of warmth or coldness when listening to binaural recordings.
People with small head should get a feeling of coldness when listening to binaural recordings.

This also may help selecting suitable HRTFs of other people.

 

[castleofargh]

1/ I get quite the different experience depending on the origin of a binaural album(different recording method I assume). But I don't remember ever thinking binaural albums felt particularly cold or warm TBH. At least not beyond some FR concept of warm or cold signature. Then again, I've spent the majority of my life in rather warm places(even the coldest places I've lived in for a while, were still a good thousand km south of Helsinki). Maybe I just don't have a brain with enough experience of cold?

2/ If the delay is shorter, wouldn't that just give a time cue for a sound source at a smaller angle(sound source closer to the center)? without visual cues, I don't see(I'm so fun) why the brain would stick to the right direction and instead interpret a temperature change?

Do you have any sort of validation for this idea beside getting it and finding some correlation with ITD that make sense of it for you and perhaps nobody else? I don't want to claim that it's wrong because I don't know enough about cold sounds(or snow everywhere changing non direct sounds a great deal). I also can't just extrapolate too much from classic sound localization when it comes to subjective experiences with headphones. But based only on my educated guess, I'd bet on super duper unlikely.

 

[bigshot]

Synesthesia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.[1][2][3][4] People who report a lifelong history of such experiences are known as synesthetes. Awareness of synesthetic perceptions varies from person to person.[5]

I think you have a particularly imaginative kind of auditory perception. It's flagging completely unrelated things. I doubt that any of this applies to most of the population of the world.

 

[71 dB]

1/ I get quite the different experience depending on the origin of a binaural album(different recording method I assume). But I don't remember ever thinking binaural albums felt particularly cold or warm TBH. At least not beyond some FR concept of warm or cold signature. Then again, I've spent the majority of my life in rather warm places(even the coldest places I've lived in for a while, were still a good thousand km south of Helsinki). Maybe I just don't have a brain with enough experience of cold?

I live in a place with four real seasons: At summer it can get as warm as +30°C (86°F) and at winter -30°C (-22°F) is not impossible, but fortunately very rare. Also we Finn do sauna weekly and typically the temperature in the steam room is about +80°C ... +90°C (176°F...194°F) but I have experienced overheated sauna twice with temperature of +140°C (284°F). Anyway the temperature difference between sauna and cold winter weather can be about 100 Kelvin. The change in speed of sound in that range is almost 20 %!

2/ If the delay is shorter, wouldn't that just give a time cue for a sound source at a smaller angle(sound source closer to the center)? without visual cues, I don't see(I'm so fun) why the brain would stick to the right direction and instead interpret a temperature change?

I think the maximum ITD values present are what gives away the situation. I think my brain detects ITD values too large for warm air and concludes the air must be cold.

Do you have any sort of validation for this idea beside getting it and finding some correlation with ITD that make sense of it for you and perhaps nobody else? I don't want to claim that it's wrong because I don't know enough about cold sounds(or snow everywhere changing non direct sounds a great deal). I also can't just extrapolate too much from classic sound localization when it comes to subjective experiences with headphones. But based only on my educated guess, I'd bet on super duper unlikely.

I got this idea today, so I haven't had much time to "validate" it. I decided to write about it here to create a discussion about it.

 

[bigshot]

I doubt there will be much of a conversation, because I think based on previous conversations that your perception of crossfeed is a subjective reaction that is unique to you. I think you're actively trying to convince yourself that you hear these things that have no basis if physics or fact. That can't provoke conversation, only argument.

 

[71 dB]

I doubt there will be much of a conversation, because I think based on previous conversations that your perception of crossfeed is a subjective reaction that is unique to you. I think you're actively trying to convince yourself that you hear these things that have no basis if physics or fact. That can't provoke conversation, only argument.

I have used to being rejected, misunderstood and what not, but the way you guys have reacted to my idea takes the cake. Maybe you people are just anti-idea?

 

[bigshot]

This isn't a rejection. It's just that you keep trying to find scientific theories to explain your subjective impressions. That's a backwards way of approaching it. Test yourself objectively to make sure it's consistent. If it is, see if someone else responds the same way. THEN start thinking of theories. You have to establish the phenominon before you can explain it. And until you objectively prove it exists, it could very likely be a subjective impression. (With the fervent grip you have on cross feed, I think it is just a subjective thing.) Other people can't comment on your subjective impressions. If it is something about how your individual brain is wired, find what works for you and just be happy with that, because I honestly don't think this isn't an issue that other people face.

 

[71 dB]

This isn't a rejection. It's just that you keep trying to find scientific theories to explain your subjective impressions.

Yeah, that is the kind of person I am! Sorry for existing! My parents had me without consulting you. Bad mistake apparently!

That's a backwards way of approaching it.

Is it?

Test yourself objectively to make sure it's consistent.

Maybe I do the day I have figured out how to do that. Doing tests can be very difficult, demanding etc.

If it is, see if someone else responds the same way.

That's why I created this thread, to see how people respond. I don't mind if you disagree with me, but you try to shut me up as if I am not entitled to have my own theories!

THEN start thinking of theories. You have to establish the phenominon before you can explain it.

Didn't I explain the logic behind my reasoning?

And until you objectively prove it exists, it could very likely be a subjective impression.

I can believe in any crazy thing without proving it. What I can't do is expect other people believe it. You don't have to believe my theory, but you have to allow me to believe in it myself!

(With the fervent grip you have on cross feed, I think it is just a subjective thing.) Other people can't comment on your subjective impressions. If it is something about how your individual brain is wired, find what works for you and just be happy with that, because I honestly don't think this isn't an issue that other people face.

People don't have to comment on my subjective impressions! You can tell about your own impressions and what you think about listening to binaural recordings, but you aren't doing that! Instead you are telling me not to come up with ideas and theories! I wasn't brought up that way. I was encouraged to think about things and have theories. That's how inventions are made so that we don't need to live in caves anymore.

 

[bigshot]

I can believe in any crazy thing without proving it. What I can't do is expect other people believe it. You don't have to believe my theory, but you have to allow me to believe in it myself!

OK.

 

[71 dB]

Synesthesia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synesthesia

Synesthesia (American English) or synaesthesia (British English) is a perceptual phenomenon in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway.[1][2][3][4] People who report a lifelong history of such experiences are known as synesthetes. Awareness of synesthetic perceptions varies from person to person.[5]

I think you have a particularly imaginative kind of auditory perception. It's flagging completely unrelated things. I doubt that any of this applies to most of the population of the world.

I don't know how much synesthesia I feel, because for me senses contribute to general cognition with associations.

 

[71 dB]

People may express their own thoughts about how air temperature affects spatial hearing due to changes in the speed of sound. This doesn't have to be only about what I experience.

 

[bigshot]

OK

 

[AmericanSpirit]

People may express their own thoughts about how air temperature affects spatial hearing due to changes in the speed of sound. This doesn't have to be only about what I experience.

Just one random guy passing by.

Folks from Tsukuba University conducted a study of “Spatial temperature distribution measurement system using acoustic methods".

So your assumption maybe the subjective and cognitive experience of what they’ve done. And your basic presumptions is, at a glance, pretty similar to what I see in their measurement techniques.

Original text is in Japanese, so I google translated for English fellows.

As a former MIT CSAIL student, I do like your idea. Science always start from “why” and “curiosity”. Keep your curiosity going mate

To experiment more on spatial temperature captured by acoustic measurements/human recognition, I’d personally recommend to have an IEM that fit perfectly to your HRTF, for me, Softears RSV does the job with very high fidelity. Not just FR, but RSV got very realistic impulse response to me as well.

 

[71 dB]

Just one random guy passing by.

Folks from Tsukuba University conducted a study of “Spatial temperature distribution measurement system using acoustic methods".

The term "spatial" of course has a different meaning in this study which has nothing to do with spatial hearing.

So your assumption maybe the subjective and cognitive experience of what they’ve done. And your basic presumptions is, at a glance, pretty similar to what I see in their measurement techniques.

The dependancy of the speed of sound on air temperature is the similar aspect. Otherwise quite different things.

Original text is in Japanese, so I google translated for English fellows.

Google translates very well these days. It even handles my native (and notoriously difficult) language Finnish really well.

As a former MIT CSAIL student, I do like your idea. Science always start from “why” and “curiosity”. Keep your curiosity going mate

Thanks! My mind generates "crazy" idea which may sometimes turn out to be not so crazy, but this damn World values charismatic snake oil sellers more than introverted weirdos with an intuitive mind.