Method of processing audio for playback of immersive audio

An apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to process audio in an immersive audio format comprising at least one height audio channel, for playing back the processed audio with a non-immersive loudspeaker system of at least two audio loudspeakers without overhead loudspeakers, in a listening environment including two or more listening positions, wherein each of the two or more listening positions is symmetrically off-center with respect to an elevation plane that is perpendicular to a plane in the at least two loudspeakers reside, such that each of the two or more listening positions is equidistant from the elevation plane, and each of the at least two loudspeakers is laterally spaced with respect to each of said two or more listening positions such that, when two monaural audio signals are emanated from the at least two loudspeakers, inter-loudspeaker differential phases, IDPs, occur at the two or more listening positions as a result of acoustic characteristics of the listening environment, wherein processing the audio comprises:
• obtaining two monoaural height audio signals from at least a portion of the at least one height audio channel;
• modifying a relative phase between the two monaural height audio signals in frequency bands in which the IDPs occurring at the two or more listening positions when the two height channels are emanated from the at least two loudspeakers, are out of phase, to obtain two phase modified height audio signals in which the IDPs are in-phase;
• and
• providing the processed audio for playback at the at least two audio loudspeakers, wherein the processed audio comprises the two phase modified height audio signals and wherein phase modification of the two monaural height audio signals causes a perception of sound height when played back by the non-immersive loudspeaker system without overhead loudspeakers.

A computer-readable and non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to process audio in an immersive audio format comprising at least one height audio channel, for playing back the processed audio with a non-immersive loudspeaker system of at least two audio loudspeakers without overhead loudspeakers, in a listening environment including two or more listening positions, wherein each of the two or more listening positions is symmetrically off-center with respect to an elevation plane that is perpendicular to a plane in the at least two loudspeakers reside, such that each of the two or more listening positions is equidistant from the elevation plane, and each of the at least two loudspeakers is laterally spaced with respect to each of said two or more listening positions such that, when two monaural audio signals are emanated from the at least two loudspeakers, inter-loudspeaker differential phases, IDPs, occur at the two or more listening positions as a result of acoustic characteristics of the listening environment, wherein processing the audio comprises:

• obtaining two monoaural height audio signals from at least a portion of the at least one height audio channel;
• modifying a relative phase between the two monaural height audio signals in frequency bands in which the IDPs occurring at the two or more listening positions when the two height channels are emanated from the at least two loudspeakers, are out of phase, to obtain two phase modified height audio signals in which the IDPs are in-phase;
• and
• providing the processed audio for playback at the at least two audio loudspeakers, wherein the processed audio comprises the two phase modified height audio signals and wherein phase modification of the two monaural height audio signals causes a perception of sound height when played back by the non-immersive loudspeaker system without overhead loudspeakers.