Sound Externalization: A Review of Recent Research

Sound externalization, or the perception that a sound source is outside of the head, is an intriguing phenomenon that has long interested psychoacousticians. While previous reviews are available, the past few decades have produced a substantial amount of new data.In this review, we aim to synthesize those data and to summarize advances in our understanding of the phenomenon. We also discuss issues related to the definition and measurement of sound externalization and describe quantitative approaches that have been taken to predict the outcomes of externalization experiments. Last, sound externalization is of practical importance for many kinds of hearing technologies. Here, we touch on two examples, discussing the role of sound externalization in augmented/virtual reality systems and bringing attention to the somewhat overlooked issue of sound externalization in wearers of hearing aids.