Goal-driven, neurobiological-inspired convolutional neural network models of human spatial hearing

•Neurobiological-inspired CNN models accurately predict sound location.•Models of binaural integration in human brainstem simulate human sound localization.•Objective functions minimizing angular or Euclidean distance lead to distinct errors.•Feature representations of shallow layers resemble brainstem neuronal spatial tuning.•Neurobiological-inspired CNN models generate testable predictions for neuroscience.