VS1000 Datasheet, PDF (20/23 Pages) List of Unclassifed Manufacturers – Ogg Vorbis Player IC with USB and NAND FLASH Interface

VLSI
Solution ^y
VS1000b
VS1000
7. FIRMWARE OPERATION
7.6 EarSpeaker Spatial Processing
While listening to headphones the sound has a tendency to be localized inside the head. The sound field becomes
flat and lacking a sensation of dimensions. This is an unnatural, awkward and sometimes even disturbing situation.
This phenomenon is often referred in literature as ‘lateralization’, meaning ’in-the-head’ localization. Long-term
listening to lateralized sound may lead to listening fatigue.
All real-life sound sources are external, leaving traces of the acoustic wavefront that arrives to the ear drums. From
these traces, the auditory system in the brain is able to judge the distance and angle of each sound source. In
loudspeaker listening the sound is external and these traces are available. In headphone listening these traces are
missing or ambiguous.
The EarSpeaker processing makes listening via headphones more like listening to the same music from real loud-
speakers or live. Once EarSpeaker processing is activated, the instruments are moved from inside to the outside of
the head, making it easier to separate different instruments (see figure 3). The listening experience becomes more
natural and pleasant, and the stereo image is sharper as the instruments are widely in front of the listener instead
of being inside the head.
Figure 3: EarSpeaker externalized sound sources vs. normal inside-the-head sound
Note that EarSpeaker differs from any common spatial processing effects, such as echo, reverb, or bass boost.
EarSpeaker accurately simulates the human auditory model and real listening environment acoustics. Thus it does
not change the tonal character of the music by introducing artificial effects.
EarSpeaker processing can be parameterized to a few different modes, each simulating a little different type of an
acoustical situation and suiting different personal preferences as well as different types of recording.
• Off: Best option when listening through loudspeakers or if the audio to be played contains binaural prepro-
cessing
• Minimal: Listening to normal musical scores with headphones, very subtle
• Normal: Listening to normal musical scores with headphones, moves sound source further than minimal
• Extreme: Old or ’dry’ recordings, or if the audio to be played is artificial
Version 1.0, 2007-09-11
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