3  Two-channel stereo and binaural audio

This chapter describes the principles of conventional two-channel stereo as it relates to both loudspeaker and headphone reproduction. These principles are also useful when attempting to understand the capabilities and limitations of multichannel stereo as described in Chapter 4. The second part of this chapter deals with binaural audio – a means of representing threedimensional sound scenes by encoding signals and reproducing them so as to feed the listener’s ears with signals very similar to those that might be heard in natural listening.

3.1  Two-channel (2–0) stereo

Two-channel stereophonic reproduction (in international standard terms ‘2–0 stereo’, meaning two front channels and no surround channels) ...

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