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Headphones
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Can headphones give anything other than stereo?
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It could be argued that without some extra (binaural) processing or
listening only to special binaural recordings, headphones can't
give stereo (from the Greek stereos: "solid"), since no "solid" image is
formed. Everything is inside the listener's head.
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surround headphones?
Can you get the same effect as 5:1?
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Yes, with some caveats. Any A/V receiver or DVD player offering "Dolby
Headphone" will give a 5 (full-band: the .1 is mixed in to L+R) channel
binauralization for headphones. It'll also give an out-of-head stereo
sound stage for straight L+R two channel signals, if you like. Some
airlines provide Dolby Headphone processed sound tracks on some in-flight
movies. There are some stand-alone Dolby Headphone processor products if
your current A/V receiver doesn't have it.
There are other types of surround headphone processors. Beyer Dynamic
recently released a stand-alone processor and headphone with a fancy
head-tracking device. Sennheiser, Sony and Pioneer (at least) also have
stand-alone products that usually include cordless headphones.
Some of the resistance that I've observed to this class of technologies
seems to stem from the fact that many people have become used to the
"hyper-reality" that headphone listening provides, and actually _like_ the
in-head sound. Maybe it increases the sense of "personal" listening.
[objectivity caveat: I work in the field. My opinions do not
represent my employers' etc. ..]
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The new Chiang Keow Electrostatic Earspeakers are 7.1. Why settle for less
at only US$295.00 a pair (including the nice headphone amp that comes with
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Dunno. I haven't heard them. But my Grado RS-1/RA-1 combination sure as hell
give impressive bass down to 12 Hz, which is why I'm not looking to buy any
other headphone or headphone amp combo.
Check out the Grados before you buy anything else. Unlike several of
Sennheiser's high end 'phones, they are quite durable, and don't fall to
pieces through constant use.
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Older ones (mine are 545s) are pretty tough.
//Adam F
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Sounds like you've had a bad experience, Ruff. The 'arms' of my senn
595's recently started to come apart but I quickly taped them up and
then applied a clear two-part resin glue to the whole surface, making
them stronger than before (they look better too). They are flimsy for
the price, but then weight is a consideration with HPs. Also, how does
a firm make a profit if their product doesn't give up the ghost and
have to be replaced? Simple economics.
BTW, don't you find Grado uncomfortable?
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them).
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And where are these to be found?
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And how do they compare to Stax? I know, for example, that the Koss ESP9's,
of which I have a set, provide the convenience of battery operated
portability, but they aren't nearly as transparent as Stax.
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Yikes. The Koss ESP9 is an antique! How do you find it compares to
modern stuff (dynamic, not Stax). Is it comfortable?
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It is superior to any dynamic I've ever heard. I actually have quite a
phones collection. Here's the ranking:
Sigma Pro
Lambda Pro
ESP9
Sennheiser 580/600
Sony MDR-V600/7506
Sennheiser E300 in-ears.
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Are you trying to make me feel deprived? And right on Xmas too!
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It is extremely light and comfortable. There appears to be something to the
open-back principle. The V600's sound muddy by comparison, yet the MDR-7506,
it's close cousin, is the world standard for monitoring. The Sony's do have
one virtue: they are far more sensitive than the V600, a perfect mate for
walk-things.
Bob Morein
Dresher, PA
(215) 646-4894
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Bob Morein
Dresher, PA
(215) 646-4894
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It's a joke Alice :-).
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Much too subtle for me, ruff. :-)
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ha...........................................................
haven't had a laugh like that for a long time.
Thanks Ruff
Anthonyo
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This might help with your bottom end:
Plug it into the sub output while listening to the phones for 2.1 sound.
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