Surround Sound (5.1?) Headphones Any Recommendations?

[hershon]

Does anyone actually have a set or have heard surround (5.1) sound headphones and are there any you'd recommend?

[yogo]

Does anyone actually have a set or have heard surround (5.1) sound headphones and are there any you'd recommend?

Where's the center channel go?

[hershon]

Where's the center channel go?

Hey I don't make em. I don't know. All I want to know is if there is a good set out there that I can afford.

[noddin0ff]

Where's the center channel go?

or the subwoofer for that matter...?

[hershon]

or the subwoofer for that matter...?

I agree on paper this makes no sense to me but they are a reality. Maybe someone can explain how they work?

[Woochifer]

Most of the implementations I'm aware of have a feature built into the DSP processing that creates a simulated surround effect with headphones. Dolby Headphone was introduced a couple of years ago and seems to have made its way into quite a few receivers. It works the same way as a DSP mode, and is compatible with any set of headphones out there. The catch is that you need a receiver with Dolby Headphone to make it work. Most 5.1 receivers also create a virtual surround mode with headphones, but it didn't always work very well. Until Dolby Headphone was introduced, the only decent surround headphone modes I heard were with Sony and Yamaha receivers.

If you want to hear Dolby Headphone in action, go rent the Pearl Harbor DVD. It has a soundtrack mixed to simulate the Dolby Headphone effect. Plug in a regular set of headphones with the DSP effects turned off, and you can hear it in action. I tried it and the surround effect from just two channels is very impressive.

As far as standalone surround headphones go, I'm not sure how they would work if you just plug them into a normal headphone jack without some kind of discrete multichannel input. Dolby's website has some info on their headphone DSP.

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/headphone.html

[nightflier]

Acoustic Research had a pair of wireless surround headphones that connected to a surround receiver's optical out. They also had RCA stereo plugs, but the consensus was that this sounded terrible. I don't remember the model number exactly (AR-921?), but I've seen them on eBay for around $80-100 used. There are also some reviews out there, I think. I don't know how they processed the surround sound to the ears. Multiple drivers per ear?

I also saw an add in Sterephile (?) for AKG's new surround sound headphones that come with their own hadphone amp. I believe these are wireless as well but my guess is that this setup will cost a pretty penny.

I'm guessing that the only effective way to get surround sound to a pair of headphones is wirelessly since it would not be practical with an optical or coax cable to connect the phones to the receiver and/or amp.

Alternately you can check out some of the surround processing modes available on many receivers out there. Harman Kardon has a mode called VMax that simulates surround speakers and sounds to me a bit like the "Hall" mode on other receivers. I believe all their receivers, even the stereo ones, can be set for VMax processing through the headphone jack so if you're curious, just take your own headphones to CC or CompUSA to see what it sounds like.

[hershon]

Are you saying, or am I misinterpreting, that just because my receiver plays 5.1 dolby surround sound, it doesn't necessary follow that the headphone jack to this receiver will play 5.1 surround sound? If it does play surround sound, what plug in surround sound headphones would you recommend or should I just stick to my regular headphones? Thanks

Most of the implementations I'm aware of have a feature built into the DSP processing that creates a simulated surround effect with headphones. Dolby Headphone was introduced a couple of years ago and seems to have made its way into quite a few receivers. It works the same way as a DSP mode, and is compatible with any set of headphones out there. The catch is that you need a receiver with Dolby Headphone to make it work. Most 5.1 receivers also create a virtual surround mode with headphones, but it didn't always work very well. Until Dolby Headphone was introduced, the only decent surround headphone modes I heard were with Sony and Yamaha receivers.

If you want to hear Dolby Headphone in action, go rent the Pearl Harbor DVD. It has a soundtrack mixed to simulate the Dolby Headphone effect. Plug in a regular set of headphones with the DSP effects turned off, and you can hear it in action. I tried it and the surround effect from just two channels is very impressive.

As far as standalone surround headphones go, I'm not sure how they would work if you just plug them into a normal headphone jack without some kind of discrete multichannel input. Dolby's website has some info on their headphone DSP.

http://www.dolby.com/consumer/technology/headphone.html

[Woochifer]

Are you saying, or am I misinterpreting, that just because my receiver plays 5.1 dolby surround sound, it doesn't necessary follow that the headphone jack to this receiver will play 5.1 surround sound? If it does play surround sound, what plug in surround sound headphones would you recommend or should I just stick to my regular headphones? Thanks

Without a 5.1 speaker set, NO system can do discrete 5.1 surround. In much the same way that DSP processors can create virtual surround effects with two, three, and four speakers, a DSP processor can create a similar effect with headphones. How convincing this effect sounds depends on how well done the processing is. With headphones, the Dolby Headphone virtual surround works very well, as do Sony and Yamaha's modes.

The surround effect can be created either through the source (DVD player or receiver) or through the headphones. If the surround effect is done only through the headphones, then the effect would likely be no better than Pro Logic. Through the source, the processor can take the 5.1 discrete channel information and create a more convincing surround effect for headphones.