Head-related transfer function upsampling using an autoencoder-based generative adversarial network with evaluation framework
Author(s)
Xuyi, Hu
Jian, Li
Picinali, Lorenzo
Hogg, Aidan
Type
Journal Article
Abstract
Accurate Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs) are essential for delivering realistic 3D audio experiences. However, obtaining personalised, high-resolution HRTFs for individual users is a time-consuming and costly process, typically requiring extensive acoustic measurements. To address this, spatial upsampling techniques have been developed to estimate high-resolution HRTFs from sparse, low-resolution acoustic measurements. This paper presents a novel approach leveraging the spherical harmonic (SH) domain and an Autoencoder Generative Adversarial Network (AE-GAN) to tackle the HRTF upsampling problem. Comprehensive evaluations are conducted using both perceptual
models and objective spectral metrics to validate the accuracy and realism of the upsampled HRTFs. The results show that the proposed approach outperforms traditional barycentric interpolation in terms of log-spectral distortion (LSD), particularly in extreme sparsity scenarios involving fewer than 12 measurements. These results go some way to justifying that the proposed AE-GAN approach is able to create high-quality, high-resolution HRTFs from only a few acoustic measurements, helping pave the way for more accessible personalised spatial audio across a range of applications.
models and objective spectral metrics to validate the accuracy and realism of the upsampled HRTFs. The results show that the proposed approach outperforms traditional barycentric interpolation in terms of log-spectral distortion (LSD), particularly in extreme sparsity scenarios involving fewer than 12 measurements. These results go some way to justifying that the proposed AE-GAN approach is able to create high-quality, high-resolution HRTFs from only a few acoustic measurements, helping pave the way for more accessible personalised spatial audio across a range of applications.
Date Issued
2025-09-05
Date Acceptance
2025-05-17
Citation
Journal of the Audio Engineering Society, 2025, 73 (9), pp.533-547
ISSN
0004-7554
Publisher
Audio Engineering Society
Start Page
533
End Page
547
Journal / Book Title
Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
Volume
73
Issue
9
Copyright Statement
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)..
License URL
Publication Status
Published