Sound stage controller for a near-field speaker-based audio system

1. A computer-implemented method of adjusting signals in an automobile audio system having at least two near-field speakers located close to an intended position of a listener's head in a vehicle cabin of an automobile and at least a first fixed speaker and a second fixed speaker positioned near a left corner and a right corner, respectively, of the vehicle cabin forward of the intended position of the listener's head, the computer-implemented method comprising:

processing a source audio signal having at least two channels, including:

identifying content of the source audio signal as being of a first type or a second type; and

upmixing the source audio signal to generate at least three component channel signals;

if the content is identified as being of the first type, defining a first soundstage including applying a first set of weights to the component channel signals for each of a set of designated positions other than the actual locations of the speakers, otherwise, defining a second soundstage including applying a second set of weights to the component channel signals for each of the set of designated positions;

receiving user input to effect a transition to a user-desired soundstage between the first soundstage and the second soundstage;

combining the first set of weights and the second set of weights to generate a combined set of weights, the relative contribution of the first set of weights and the second set of weights in the combined set of weights being based on a value of the user input; and

defining the user-desired soundstage including applying the combined set of weights to the component channel signals at each of the set of designated positions.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first soundstage is narrow and forward and the second soundstage is wide and enveloping.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the set of designated positions includes a virtual center position, a virtual front left position, a virtual front right position, and plurality of virtual surround positions.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

applying the first set of weights results in the virtual surround positions being closer to the intended position of the listener's head than that resulting from applying the second set of weights.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein:

applying the first set of weights results in both the virtual front left position and the virtual front right position being closer to the virtual center position than that resulting from applying the second set of weights.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the near-field speakers are located in a headrest of the automobile.

7. An audio system for an automobile, the system comprising:

at least two near-field speakers located close to an intended position of a listener's head in a vehicle cabin of the automobile;

at least a first fixed speaker and a second fixed speaker positioned near a left corner and a right corner, respectively, of the vehicle cabin forward of the intended position of the listener's head; and

an audio signal processor configured to:

process a source audio signal having at least two channels, including:

identify content of the source audio signal as being of a first type or a second type; and

upmix the source audio signal to generate at least three component channel signals;

if the content is identified as being of the first type, define a first soundstage including applying a first set of weights to the component channel signals for each of a set of designated positions other than the actual locations of the speakers,

otherwise, define a second soundstage including applying a second set of weights to the component channel signals for each of the set of designated positions;

receive user input to effect a transition to a user-desired soundstage between the first soundstage and the second soundstage;

combine the first set of weights and the second set of weights to generate a combined set of weights, the relative contribution of the first set of weights and the second set of weights in the combined set of weights being based on a value of the user input; and

define the user-desired soundstage including applying the combined set of weights to the component channel signals at each of the set of designated positions.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first soundstage is narrow and forward and the second soundstage is wide and enveloping.

9. The system of claim 7 , wherein the set of designated positions includes a virtual center position, a virtual front left position, a virtual front right position, and plurality of virtual surround positions.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

application of the first set of weights results in the virtual surround positions being closer to the intended position of the listener's head than that resulting from application of the second set of weights.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein:

application of the first set of weights results in both the virtual front left position and the virtual front right position being closer to the virtual center position than that resulting from application of the second set of weights.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the near-field speakers are located in a headrest of the automobile.

13. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a soundstage control configured to be moved between a start position and an ending position, wherein:

at the start position, a contribution of the first set of weights to the combined set of weights is at its maximum and a contribution of the second set of weights to the combined set of weights is at its minimum; and

at the ending position, a contribution of the first set of weights to the combined set of weights is at its minimum and a contribution of the second set of weights to the combined set of weights is at its maximum.

14. The system of claim 7 , further comprising:

a memory associating the first set of weights with a narrow soundstage presentation and the second set of weights with a wide soundstage presentation.