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Sennheiser RS 180 Digital Wireless Headphone Suitable for the audiophile, the RS180 comes complete with automatic level and adjustable balance controls, and surround sound. Available from both Amazon US and amazon UK. |
Dolby Headphone: What do you need to enjoy this headphone technology?
In the first part of this article, we have seen how the Dolby algorithm for headphone listening generates what are referred to as 'virtual speakers'.
These virtual sound sources make it possible to play a 5.1-channel sound over an ordinary pair of stereo headphones. The resultant headphone listening experience is practically the same immersing experience one enjoys when listening to sound from a multi-channel speaker setup.
The good news for headphone users is - you do not need much to enjoy this headphone technology! Dolby virtual surround headphone technology works well for all listeners and with any multi-channel audio program source - no custom adjustments are needed. Equally important, even an ordinary pair of headphones will do - as long as you have a Dolby Headphone encoded sound source.
But as with all home theater equipment, audio quality improves with the quality of your gear.
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So what do you actually need to enjoy this great technology? There are three basic approaches:
Built-in Decoder:
The easiest way is to buy it as part of an A/V receiver, DVD-Video or DVD-Audio player, laptop PC, game console, TV, etc. In reality, it can be included as part of any product that normally provides a stereo headphone jack.
Though the possibilities of incorporating Dolby Digital Headphone in system hardware are endless, yet up to very recent, there were only a few products that offered build-in Dolby Headphone decoders even though the technology have been around since 2001. Luckily, things are starting to change in that most mid-range AV receivers are now starting to feature this headphone technology.
Home theater receivers within this category worth considering include the Harman Kardon AVR-3490 stereo receiver and the AVR-3600 7.1 AV receiver; the latter is featured on our site under the AV receivers section of the site. Both are excellent receivers with a great GUI and one of the most complete feature specs. As expected, both come with Dolby Headphone technology for a more spacious, open sound when using headphones.
An alternative to the AV receiver is a headphone pair with a built-in Dolby Surround Headphone decoder. Again, as with the case of the AV receiver, available options are still very much limited. Worth taking note here that you may find other proprietary virtual surround sound technologies for headphone listening - which all aim at producing a more realistic out-of-the-head effect with 5.1-channel sound.
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Among the few interesting headphone systems available with virtual surround sound technology, one finds the Pioneer SE-DIR800C Wireless Dolby Digital 5.1 Headphones, the Sony MDR-DS6000 Wireless Surround Digital 2.4GHz RF (pictured here), and the Sennheiser RS 180 featured at the top of this page. All three systems come with very similar features, are comfortable in use, and use 2.4GHz wireless digital audio technology for the best results. |
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However, in our opinion, the Sennheiser delivers a somewhat superior audio quality that makes it more suitable for audiophile listening.
Encoding Software
The situation is somewhat different when it comes to software applications for your desktop or lap-top PC.
A search on any search engine using the term 'downloadable Dolby encoding headphone software' would soon reveal a number of readily available applications for immediate use.
Dolby Headphone Pre-encoded Soundtrack
As already expressed earlier on, it is possible to enjoy this fantastic technology that lets you experience your home theater to the full without annoying your neighbors using an ordinary pair of stereo headphones - without the need of any special equipment.
BUT in this case, you would need a Dolby Headphone pre-encoded soundtrack. Some DVDs come with a pre-encoded headphone soundtrack - all you have to do is plug in your favorite pair of headphones into the headphone jack of your DVD player or A/V receiver and select the Dolby Headphone soundtrack from the DVD menu; and it's all done!
No special hardware or decoder is required because Dolby Headphone processing has already been applied to the soundtrack; in other words, the resulting signals are pre-encoded as a special Dolby Headphone soundtrack.
There is one problem thought: Unfortunately, there are only a few titles available that support a Dolby pre-encoded headphone soundtrack; these include:
If you are making use of a pre-encoded Dolby surround headphone soundtrack, make sure that any digital signal processing (DSP) modes often referred to as simulated soundfield modes e.g. Cinema, Hall, Live, are disabled. Engaging this type of DSP on your AV receiver will severely degrade the Dolby Headphone soundtrack.
Dolby Headphone Limitation
The Dolby Headphone algorithm is primarily designed to simulate the soundfield created by a 5.1 home theater speaker system. This means this algorithm is not able to virtually produce the enhanced sound stage created by the surround back channels in extended surround sound formats such as THX Surround EX and DTS Extended Surround (DTS-ES).
To be fair though, Dolby Digital Headphone technology was never meant to virtually re-create extended surround sound formats.
There is one exception though. The latest update to the algorithm can reproduce a source that incorporates Dolby Pro Logic IIz preprocessing introduced in 2009. This means that Dolby Headphone is able to provide a convincing 7.1-channel virtual surround sound experience. Dolby Pro Logic IIz technology introduces the concept of 'Height' speakers for the fronts as further detailed in our Dolby Surround Sound Expansion guide instead of the Back surround speakers used in a standard 7.1 speaker setup.
Is Dolby Headphone a replacement to a Home Theater Speaker setup?
Not quite. But then it all depends on whether you want to enjoy your home theater with your family and friends, or whether you are bound to use your home theater with the volume almost completely turned down because maybe a family member is sleeping or studying in an adjacent room.
From a pure sound perspective, Dolby Surround Headphone technology is capable of virtually re-creating in an amazingly faithful manner, the imaging and soundfield created by a 5.1 multi-channel speaker system.
In other words, it is capable of creating that same immersive soundstage of a surround sound system, even though it doesn't quite match the same detailed imaging as produced by a real five speaker setup.
This is because through a correct speaker placement in a 5.1 channel system, it is possible to impart a level of sound detail not possible with even the best quality headphones.
But... If you ever need to make use of a pair of headphones, ensure that you will make use of Dolby Headphone technology - or at least some other virtual surround sound technology intended for headphone listening. This not only leads to less listener's fatigue when using headphones, it also helps transform your headphone listening from ordinary to most enjoyable and immersive sound experience.
Looking for Wireless Headphones?
Good quality headphones with built-in Dolby Headphone technology do not come cheap. Prior to any decision, we advise to do some research of your own. Look at what other customers had to say about their purchase especially with respect to product quality and manufacturer customer support. A good starting point is the customer feedback posted on the amazon site.
You can search the amazon storefront without leaving our site by using the amazon search box below; your search results will appear here under.
