Comparing Soundscape Perception in-field and in Laboratory: A Two-Site Study in Turin, Italy

Over the past two decades, laboratory reproduction of soundscapes has been extensively investi-gated. Technologies such as head-mounted displays (HMDs) and Ambisonics audio have enabled virtual soundwalks to achieve acceptable levels of ecological validity. However, the perceptual im-pact of higher-fidelity immersive audio–visual reproduction systems has yet to be systematically assessed. Using third-order Ambisonics playback and 360° video delivered through an HMD, this study compared soundscape perception in-field and under laboratory conditions at two urban sites in Turin, Italy, within an Italian-speaking participant cohort. Subjective ratings were evaluated via Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Benjamini–Hochberg correction. Psychoacoustic parameters were largely stable across experimental phases, with only minor variations observed in sharpness and roughness, suggesting overall accurate acoustic reproduction. No statistically significant differences were identified between conditions following correction for multiple comparisons, pointing to a substantial degree of perceptual equivalence. Nevertheless, directional shifts in perceptual respons-es were observed for one site prior to correction, highlighting the influence of contextual and psy-chological factors on subjective soundscape evaluation.