Comparison of perceived auditory distance between real and virtual sound sources

•Auditory distance can be simulated usingindividualized and non-individualized BRIRs in the original recording environment.•Individual spectral cues are not critical for auditory distance perception of virtual stimuli.•Auditory distance perception of virtual sources degrades under incongruent listening conditions.. Comparative research on auditory distance perception between real and virtual environments remains limited. This study examines how perceived distance of real sound sources compares to that of virtual sound sources using two approaches: individualized binaural room impulse responses (BRIRs) and non-individualized BRIRs. Additionally, we will investigate the impact of acoustic congruence between the room in which the BRIRs were recorded and the room in which they are reproduced on the perceived distance of virtual sources. We compared the perceived distance of virtual stimuli presented in the same room where they were recorded (congruent condition) and in a room with a significantly lower reverberation time (incongruent condition). Participants listened to a musical fragment from both real and virtual sources positioned at distances of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 m, with virtual stimuli delivered through open-back headphones. Results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that auditory distance perception for both individualized and non-individualized measured BRIRs was comparable to real sound sources when playback occurred in the original recording environment. Experiment 2 revealed that room incongruence affected participants in a differentiated manner. A group of participants (27 %) reported almost no changes in perceived distance. For the remaining participants, the effect was more subtle, resulting in significantly more compressed responses compared to those who performed the experiment under congruent conditions. These findings highlight the effectiveness of measured BRIRs in replicating auditory distance when playback in congruent conditions. Additionally, they demonstrated that acoustic incongruence between the BRIRs recording room and the playback room negatively impacted auditory distance perception.