1999 Announcements Archive
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11/15/99: Happy holidays!

Very long update this month - partially due to the delay in preparing this update and partially due to the fact that there is a whole lot of news. Also in this update is the HeadWize Year in Review, which recaps developments in the industry over the past 12 months and analyzes trends that are likely to continue into the year 2000.

HeadWize experienced strong growth in 1999 - with an average of over 40,000 requests for pages per month. That's triple the usage from the same time last year!! Thanks to the HeadWize users who participated and continue to participate in the growth and development of this site.

The Year In Review:

It seems like yesterday that I was preparing the announcements about the 1999 CES show, and now the 2000 CES is just around the corner. This year has been a turning point for headphone sound. It saw the introduction of new technologies and products for 3D headphone sound in the playback of surround sound, stereo, and MP3 recordings and in PC games. Headphone and audio technology companies are committing substantial resources to perfecting virtualization devices and to incorporating acoustic simulation into a variety of platforms and products.

Hand-held virtualizers like the Sennheiser DSP Pro have been around for a few years, but this year saw these technologies incorporated into wireless headphones with Dolby decoding. The AKG Hearo 777 and Sony MDR-DS5000 are prime examples of this category. And the market demand for such products is so strong that AKG and Sony are already releasing the next generation of wireless surround-sound headphones (AKG will be shipping 3 new models).

With the demise of VLS, Sennheiser has lost its source for its current DSP line of virtualizers. Sennheiser has not divulged any information about the successor to the DSP series, but it is interesting that the new RS-60 wireless headphone uses a surround processor from SRS Labs. Does this product suggest a long-term alliance? Will SRS Labs also supply the technology for the next series of DSP processors? Anything is possible, and it is reasonable to assume that Sennheiser will consider very carefully the selection of virtualization technology for its DSP line. Dolby Headphone could be in the running, or perhaps even a solution that is proprietary to Sennheiser.

One disappointment this year has been the delay in the availability of Dolby Headphone products. Apparently, the Dolby Headphone algorithms originally required expensive processing power that was impractical in most consumer products. Lake DSP (now Lake Technologies after a successful IPO) is in the midst of licensing a less expensive (and patent-pending) version of its technology that performs as effectively as the original, so Dolby Headphone products may finally appear in 2000.

The phenomenal growth of the MP3 standard attracted the interest of 3D sound technology companies. Shortly after HeadWize published the essay "The New Dimensions of Pocket Stereo" - see the June Announcements), Spatializer Laboratories and SRS Labs announced low cost, virtualizer add-ons for the XingMP3 and Winamp players. At list prices of $16 and $10 respectively, these products for the first time placed two of the premier headphone acoustic simulation technologies within reach of the average consumer. SRS Labs' WowThing Box offered the same sonic benefits to owners of portable MP3 players (or any other portable stereo, for that matter).

Serious PC gamers often think nothing about investing in the most advanced PC gear - a fact not lost on the cognescenti in the headphone industry. Virtualization products joined the emerging trend of multimedia headsets to seduce the hard-earned dollars of PC gamers. Aureal Corporation and Creative Technologies invested extensive development resources on the 3D headphone outputs on their sound cards. One of the more unusual offerings in this category was the Sennheiser Surrounder/DSP Pro combo. The futuristic Surrounder sound collar combined high style and functionality, and took role playing and virtual reality to a new level. So radical a departure was the concept from its other marketing messages that Sennheiser established a separate website to sell the products.

Trends for Y2K: Headphone design has definitely been skewed in the direction of fashion and styling over the last year. Expect to see expanded use of color plastic and shiny metals in the headphones of 2000. Headphone manufacturers may attempt to differentiate their products with unusual form factors. With the integration of personal productivity tools into portable stereo packages (for example, MP3 players that have cellular phone capability), there could be increased interest in headphones with built-in microphones - and in particular, microphones that are artfully concealed. Thus, someone who is listening to music could answer a cell call by tapping a button on an earcup. Although without a visible microphone, people on a cell call might be mistaken for talking to themselves.

With the acoustic simulation technology improving, there appears to be consumer interest in assembling home audio systems with headphones as the primary reproduction apparatus for serious listening (and loudspeakers on more casual occasions). As a result, manufacturers may be inclined to produce more high-end headphones - possibly with exotic transducer technologies. At the very least, expect to see new headphone amplifiers entering the market. Also expect some of the amplifier prices to be at a premium. After all, if HeadRoom's Max can go for a cool $1,333, why not other headphone amps?

Speaking of HeadRoom, might there be other companies working on high-end headphone amps with built-in acoustic simulation? For many audiophiles, analog acoustic simulation has a more acceptable connotation than digital-based simulation. Nevertheless, with so many sources now of digital virtualizer chips, there may soon be high-end headphone amps with digital acoustic simulation.

In any case, expect to see new and improved virtualizers, with superior performance to existing devices and at lower prices. As PCs become more powerful, incorporating acoustic simulation algorithms in software may become more commonplace. The number of virtualization plug-ins for MP3 players proves the viability of this option. Aureal Corporation has just announced its software development kit (SDK) which will allow developers to build A3D-enabled applications. Creative Technologies has just made available a Sound Blaster Live driver for Open Source Linux development.

Headphone News:

Please email me if you have any headphone-related news. The next update will be in January 2000, but again, may be a few weeks late due to other commitments. See you all in 2000!

9/21/99:

Site News: The ISP for this site installed an upgrade to PHP3, which has broken the Commercial Links and Educational Links applications. I will not be able to repair them immediately. The HeadWize Forums are not affected by this outage.

8/15/99:

Site News: I have incorporated a search engine in the Discussion Forums (HeadWize runs the freeware version of the Ultimate BB discussion software, which does not come with a search utility). The program is a CGI application written in Perl 5. It appears to be working fine (Perl is not the most programmer-friendly language around). Please report any bugs to me. I hope you find the search engine useful.

Headphone News:

The next update is scheduled for October, but may be several weeks late due to other commitments.

6/21/99: Hello all! I'm a bit late posting this update and will try to get the next update (in August) out sooner. There's lots of news this month, so let's get started.

Editorial: The New Dimensions of Pocket Stereo

Much of the excitement over acoustic simulation in headphones has been about the playback of Dolby Surround recordings. To date, virtualizer technology has almost exclusively appeared in the consumer market in Dolby Surround decoders for headphones. It is true that these decoders will also virtualize stereo recordings, but this feature is usually mentioned in passing, as though its significance was hardly more than marginal in the new world of three-dimensional audio. However, the indications are that stereo virtualizers may soon become a significant market force.

In the June 1999 issue of Sound & Vision, Michael Gaughn examines the future of the stereo format in the face of multichannel surround sound. For some audio retailers, sales of two-channel gear now make up less than 10% of their business. Gaughn recognizes that there are millions of existing stereo players that alone could ensure the survival of stereo for the near future. And, of course, audiophiles will become undying devotees of stereo, as they have a habit of enshrining obsolete technologies. But, as far as market growth is concerned, Gaughn believes that it is the convenience of inexpensive, portable players (especially portable digital players) that will do the most to perpetuate stereo.

Yet, sound quality should not be underestimated as a factor in the popularity of personal stereos. A brief scan of the audio newsgroups will turn up thread after thread on the topic of sound quality in MiniDisc and MP3 players. The MiniDisc gained market share with each new release of its ATRAC compression format that offered improved sound quality. MP3 player manufacturers have been cramming bucket-loads of RAM into their products for more storage of high bitrate MP3 files. While these developments bring the audio reproduction closer to the level of standard stereo CDs, they do not change how that reproduction is heard - through headphones.

With the proliferation of low-cost personal digital players (even PDAs are getting into the act), convenience is becoming a given, so that marketers will look to sound quality as a selling point. So far, the audio compression format wars, such as MP3 vs. MiniDisc, seem less likely to be the key determinants, because consumers appear to be driving the industry to a standard faster than the industry can engender confusion by releasing new formats. (Barring unfavorable legal interventions, manufacturers will adapt their products to market trends - already there is talk of MiniDisc players storing and decoding MP3 files.)

If sound quality will be a key selling point of personal digital players, it stands to reason that virtualizers will play an important role, as they present an obvious path for the improvement of headphone sound. Companies that develop and license acoustic simulation technologies are quietly preparing for this revolution by offering low-cost, low-power virtualization chips to OEMs. Expect to see a large range of personal digital players (even PDAs) with 3D headphone outputs in the next year, when it may finally be possible to carry home stereo sound in a pocket.

Headphone News:

The next update will be in August. If you hear any headphone-related news, please email me.
Comments or questions? Please visit the HeadWize discussion forums.

6/6/99: Newsflash! Mix Magazine Online is sponsoring StudioPro99, a two-day conference for recording professionals. This year, the focus is on mixing in surround sound with expert panels, a luncheon forum and a demo room presented by Dolby Laboratories and Genelec. StudioPro99 is being held at the Universal City Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles from June 14-15. The full conference registration fee is $279, but a one-day surround sound registration is available for $199. Register at the Mix Magazine Online site or call 510.653.3307 x3242.

4/19/99: This month, HeadWize is celebrating its one year anniversary. It's hard to believe that a whole year has passed since I first set up this site. In March, HeadWize received over 25,000 requests for pages (200,000 hits) - the largest number in a single month to date. Of course, there are plenty of audio sites that entertain much more traffic, but for a site with a narrow interest, headphones, I think that is a very good number.

In honor of this first anniversary, I have revised the site graphics and added a new feature: HeadWize Discussion Forums. To post a message to a forum, you must register first (registration is simple and free). The forum names are: Headphone Reviews and Recommendations, Headphone Accessories and Electronics, DIY Shoppe, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, Pro Audio and Headphones, and General Interest. Previously, HeadWize referred users to Usenet newsgroups for such discussions. In my opinion, these newsgroups remain the best sources of audio information. However, some users have requested message boards as a convenient means of requesting headphone and DIY advice. I evaluated several discussion board programs, and selected the freeware version of the Ultimate Bulletin Board. UBB has a user interface that (with a bit of customization) integrates well with the existing HeadWize layout. I hope you find it useful.

The Educational Links database is online - though sparsely populated at the moment. I have a list of sites to add, but must confirm that the URLs are still active. Some of my favorite links have already disappeared without a trace from the Internet. In particular, if you know of any non-commercial sites which specialize in headphones, please email me the URL.

Editorial: The Hobby of Headphone Electronics

Stereophile has published its latest "Recommended Components" issue (see Headphone News below) with a section for Headphone Amplifiers, which were once regarded as nothing more than loudspeaker amplifiers with power-limiting output resistors. Headphone amplifiers have begun evolving into separate components, designed with careful consideration to small signal amplification, headphone interfacing and psychoacoustics. It's only a matter of time before audiophiles start tweaking them with Tiptoes, suspension platforms, precious-metal cables and climate-controlled cabinets. Companies such as HeadRoom Corporation and VLS Systems pioneered the commercial trend of specialized amplifiers for headphones, but DIYers have been constructing these as standalones for many decades - often as beginner's projects.

However, the concept of headphone amplifiers with built-in acoustic simulation (be it analog-based crossfeed or digital simulation) is a recent phenomenon. The number of commercial sources of such products can be counted on one hand, so DIY circuits may be a matter of necessity (necessity, that is, in the ears of the questing audiophile). As the realm of handcrafted audio gear survives in the present day, these devices may be one of the last examples of great DIY return-on-investment.

A few months ago, a DIYer, who had constructed an acoustic simulator from the HeadWize Projects Library, wrote me to say how impressed he was that a few dollars in parts could make such a big difference in his listening experience. "Golden Ear" audiophiles notwithstanding, most modern audio components are cheaper to buy than make, and have very good sound quality. Although digital acoustic simulators are beyond the skills of most hobbyists, analog or crossfeed-type simulators can provide remarkable performance which may not be available commercially (especially since they can be tuned for an individual's hearing characteristics) and which many listeners find preferable to digital processing. Like the home-brew crystal radios and "one-tube wonders" of yore, a DIY headphone amplifier with acoustic simulation can be both a source of pride for the builder as well as an unsurpassed value.

The HeadWize Projects Library is fortunate to offer several headphone amplifier and acoustic simulator circuits. If you build one, please don't hesitate to contact the author with your comments. If you have a headphone-related project, please contact the webmaster (me) to discuss publication on HeadWize. Also, please consider sharing your DIY experiences in the DIY Shoppe Forum.

Headphone News:

    Picture of Koss Plug headphones.

  • Koss Corporation introduces two new headphones. The Plug is a canal headphone with ear cushions made of hydrophyllic, formed urethane that expand to fit the ear canal for superior acoustic isolation and bass response. It comes with 4 replacement cushions and a vinyl carrying case. The MSRP is $19.99.

    Picture of SportaPro headphones.

    The SportaPro lightweight headphone features a headband that can be flipped 90 degrees down and worn in a "behind the head" fashion. The headphone cord has a mute switch. It folds flat for storage and comes with a carrying case. The MSRP is $29.99 (US). Both the Plug and SportaPro are covered by the Koss lifetime warranty.

    InMotion screenshot.

  • WaveArts, Inc. in Arlington, MA, announces its InMotion 3D Audio Producer for Windows 95/98/NT. InMotion 3D is an acoustic modeling application which allows musicians, sound designers, audio production studios, and web page designers to create 3D audio presentations for playback over conventional stereo loudspeakers or headphones. Listeners experience sound coming from all directions including the front, rear, and extreme left/right. The user graphically locates the sound sources around the listener in the computer-generated scene. InMotion is being marketed and sold by Human Machine Interfaces, Inc. in Eugene, OR.

    Picture of Cary 300 SEI integrated amp.

  • The April 1999 issue of Stereophile has the latest "Recommended Components." The Class A headphones are: Grado RS-1, Sennheiser HD600 and the Stax Lambda Nova (the Omega II had not been reviewed). The Class A headphone amplifiers are: Carey CA300 SEI, HeadRoom Max and Melos SHA Gold. The Sennheiser HD600 was also named 1998 Accessory of the Year.

  • HeadRoom Corporation has revised its website. It has a gray-tone (more serious) look. In addition to the new layout, HeadRoom has expanded its product line to include the Musical Fidelity X-Cans and now publishes technical specifications and graphs for its own line of amplifiers. Making Stereophile's Class A list seems to have given HeadRoom an air of respectability.

  • Lake DSP announces that Singapore Airlines is an early adopter of Dolby Headphone, which is being installed in SIA's in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, and will provide headphone-based surround sound to passengers in all classes.

  • Although Peter Aczel admits to very seldom listening with headphones, he does proclaim that the Sennheiser HD600 is state of the art in issue 25 of the Audio Critic (which also marks the return of the Audio Critic after a long hiatus). He says the HD600 is "transparent, lifelike, uncolored and dynamic."

  • In the March issue of Fanfare, Al Fasoldt writes about "Testing Headphones" in his Common-Sense Audiophile column. He describes the process of using audio test CDs to determine the true low frequency response of headphones.

  • Speaking of test CDs, Jesse Knight reviews the Audio-CD Hearing Test CD in the 2/1999 issue of Audio Electronics. The article details the headphone calibration and hearing test procedures. The product receives his recommendation.

  • STAX Limited has a new website: http://www.stax.co.jp. The site is under construction. In the meantime, Staxophiles can check out the unofficial Stax page created by Masakazu Ookura: http://www4.freeweb.ne.jp/art/exp4. It contains an entire history of Stax products. (In Japanese only.)

The next update will be in June. If you hear any headphone-related news, please email me.
Comments or questions? Please visit the HeadWize discussion forums.

2/14/99: Happy Valentine's Day (especially to those of you lucky enough to have a Valentine)!!!

Editorial: Standardizing on Diffuse-Field Equalization

I am going to begin this update by discussing the subject of headphone equipment standards - and in particular, headphone equalization. With the growing number of acoustic simulation products now entering the audio market, it is more important than ever that manufacturers adhere to a standard EQ curve for headphones, because these simulators are designed to process audio with the highest fidelity assuming a reference frequency response. For example, the signal processing by Dolby Headphone sounds most natural with headphones that are diffuse-field (DF) equalized. Dolby Headphone will also work with non-DF headphones, but the sound reproduction will not be as accurate.

Without some form of built-in equalization, headphones do not sound "flat", because normal hearing depends on acoustic shaping from the listener's head and outer ears, which is lost in headphone listening. The frequency curve of a diffuse field is measured to simulate how a person hears in a reverberant room. Studies have confirmed that DF equalized headphones sound tonally accurate, although the equalization by itself does not improve spatial imaging. Further, DF equalized headphones receive consistently good reviews in the audio press, which is otherwise notorious for its subjectivity.

At this time, only a few headphone manufacturers such as Sennheiser and beyerdynamic identify their products as DF equalized. Other major industry players such as Denon, Koss, and Sony do not mention equalization in their product specifications. This state of affairs is somewhat odd, as many headphone companies participated in and approved the IEC 60268-7:1996 standard, which defines how a DF curve should be measured. Without the specification, consumers can only rely on careful auditioning when evaluating headphones.

Of course, careful auditioning is a must when purchasing audio components as personal as headphones, but an equalization specification can guide consumers in the selection process. Two factors appear to influence a manufacturer's decision to not include it. One objection to using DF equalization is that not all consumers want "natural" and "accurate" sound from their headphones. Some like "Megabass" heaviness, an "insistent" midrange or "shrieking" highs. However, companies are free to label such enhanced products and to distinguish them from accurate headphones. Further, consumers are free to add these tonal artifacts to accurate headphones by liberal adjustment of tone controls.

Another issue with DF equalization appears to be the complexity of the measurement procedure. Veronique Larcher (IRCAM) presented a paper on this topic at the 105th AES Convention last year called "Equalization Methods in Binaural Technology" (AES preprint 4858). In that paper, Larcher describes three methods of measuring a diffuse-field spectrum: reverberant room, anechoic chamber and transient excitation. The first two are the traditional methods and either have a limited frequency range or require a large number of measurements. Larcher's new transient excitation method overcomes these disadvantages and needs only a few measurements in a typical room. Yet, controversey over the standard is no reason to ignore DF equalization entirely. With any of the accepted measurement techniques, DF equalized headphones benefit the consumer by reproducing tonally accurate audio.

Loudspeaker product sheets are generally not shy about claiming a flat frequency response and often include test results to corroborate the claims. With headphones, a frequency response specification is of little value unless the type of equalization is also specified. Acoustic simulation technologies have the potential of making headphones more acceptable as an alternative to loudspeakers (perhaps a superior alternative - especially for individual listening). Rather than require acoustic simulators to accommodate dozens of equalization curves, manufacturers can help realize the great potential of headphones by promoting DF equalization in their products.

Headphone News:

The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in Las Vegas, Nevada in January started the year off with a loud bang for audiophiles (and gadget lovers generally). For headphone fans, the most exciting news had to be the return of Stax to the Hallowed Halls of High-End. After the reorganization, Stax slowly re-introduced its product line, beginning with the Lambda Nova series electrostatic headphones and matching amplifiers. In the United States, these models were available through select dealers such as Audio Advisor and HeadRoom Corporation. Audiophiles in Japan could also purchase the SRS-001 in-ear electrostatics. Great as these products were (and still are), the reduced-scale of production and their limited distribution left the impression that Stax had lost much of its former glory.

This year, however, Stax appears to have made a full fiscal recovery. Represented by its newly-appointed US distributor, Yama's Enterprises, Stax came to the CES with its line of electrostatic headphones completely restored - and then some. There were long lines to audition the new ultra-high-end Omega IIs. Keeping in step with the times, Stax unveiled several lightweight electrostatic headphones for use with portable stereos. Rumor has it that joyous audiophiles, overwhelmed by the technical virtuosity on display, chanted "Stax is back!" throughout the three-day event. No doubt, more than a few old-timers, struck by nostalgia, wiped a dewey-eye on seeing this Master of electrostatic headphone design on its feet again. Welcome back!

In other industry news, the product introductions at the CES confirm that headphone makers are paying close attention to the home-theater and PC/multimedia markets. Sennheiser's new Medi@acoustic line even includes headset/microphone combos that are popular with computer users. Acoustic simulation technologies are very hot indeed. The Sennheiser DSP Dolby decoders and its Surrounder sound collar are testament to the importance of 3D sound in all of these markets. Sony created a buzz with its MDR-DS5000 wireless surround headphones. Zoran and SRS Labs announced that their 3D headphone surround technologies were being packaged into inexpensive chips (ICs) for OEM development. And let's not forget the advent of Dolby Headphone. By the year 2000, the confining nature of headphone sound could be fast fading into memory.

    Picture of Stax Omega II headphones.

  • The new flagship of the Stax line is the SRS-007 headphone system, aka, the Omega II. Like its predecessor the Omega, the Omega II headphones (SR-007) are handcrafted, but this reincarnation sports a gold finish, larger electrostatic diaphragms, rotating earcups and more rigid transducer housings. The system comes with the SRM-007t vacuum tube driver/amplifier, which has a dual FET front-end and a parallel-connected dual triode output stage (6CG7/6FQ7), and a carrying case with a carbon fiber finish. The suggested retail is $6,265 US (the headphones are available separately for about $4,000 US). Stax has already sold out its first production of Omega IIs.

    Picture of Stax SRS-001 Mk2 headphone system.

    The SRS-001 Mk2 system features in-ear electrostatic headphone transducers with thinner diaphragms (1.5u compared to the 2.5u of the original), soft-tipped pads for greater comfort and a lightweight pocket-sized amplifier (SRM-001) that runs on two AA batteries for up to five hours or an AC adapter. The suggested retail price is $455 US.

    Picture of Stax SRS-005 headphone system.

    The SRS-005 system is a "vertical" design of the SRS-001 Mk2. It consists of the SR-003 headphones and the SRM-Xh amplifier/driver. The headphones have earpieces similar to those of the SR-001 Mk2, but they are mounted a on thin, lighweight headband (Walkman-style). The headphone cable is terminated with a 5-pin plug that is compatible with other Stax "Pro" amplifiers/adapters. The SRM-Xh amplifier is the same solid-state unit in the Lambda Nova Basic system. The SRS-005 has a suggested retail of $680 US.

    Stax continues to sell its Lambda Nova line: the Basic ($780 US), Classic ($1,295 US), Signature S ($2,150 US) and the Signature W ($2,860 US). Rumor has it that Hi-Fi News and Record Review will publish a report on the Omega II in a few months. Meanwhile, check out Ken Kessler's article on the SRS-001 Mk2 and the Lambda Nova Basic systems in the January 1999 issue of Hi-Fi News ("The New Stax Packs," HFNRR, 1/99, p. 34). He proclaims that the SRS-001 Mk2 is "the best value high-end headphone in the universe" and that the Lambda Nova Basic offers "transparency and 'virtual' freedom from headphone constraints."

  • Sennheiser unveiled its new medi@coustics product line at the CES. Aimed at the multimedia, PC and home theater markets, the line includes three lightweight, supra-aural headphones (m@h 20 - $14.95 US; m@h 40 - $34.95 US; and the m@h 80 - $89.95 US), four headset/microphone systems (m@b15 - $19.95; m@b25 - $19.95; m@b30 - $24.95; m@b40 - $59.95), two surround-sound processors for headphone listening (DSP360 - $149.95; DSP Pro - $269.95) and the Surrounder, a surround-sound "collar" for computer gamers ($299.99).

    Picture of Sennheiser DSP Pro Surround Processor.

    HeadWize reported on the DSP Pro last October. No details about the unit were available then, but I conjectured that it would probably be similar to the Lucas. Well, it turns out that the DSP Pro is not only similar to the Lucas, it IS the Lucas - only the name has changed. In contrast to the bare-bones, but easy-to-use DSP360, the DSP Pro has outputs for two headphones and controls for ambience, virtual seating and virtual environment, as well as 15 listening curves to fine-tune the surround effect. Sennheiser is selling both DSP products to the home theater market.

    Picture of Sennheiser Surrounder Sound Collar.

    The real surprise was the Sennheiser Surrounder. That product has been in prototype for some time (see A Quick Guide To Headphones for a picture of the prototype), and it seemed that the DSP line had eclipsed it. It must be hard to discard a product that is so endearing in a quirky way. Although it could find a following in home theater, some genius at Sennheiser managed to identify another potential market: computer gamers. The "futuristic" sound collar sits on the listener's shoulders and projects true 4-channel sound around the listener's head. It works best when the listener is sitting upright. The Surrounder will be in stores in March.

    Picture of Sony MDR-DS5000 Wireless Surround Headphone System.

  • Sony is the latest headphone maker to jump on the surround-sound bandwagon with its MDR-DS5000 wireless, virtual surround headphones. Like the AKG Hearo 777, the MDR-DS5000 system has a transmitter with a built-in Dolby decoder and an acoustic simulator for 3D sound. While the AKG Hearo incorporates a ProLogic decoder and is UHF wireless, the Sony boasts a Dolby Digital decoder (AC3) and transmits over infrared, with a 90 degree, 33 foot coverge range. The headphones are lightweight (10 ounces) and the transmitter is small (approx. 7" x 7"). The MDR-DS5000 system comes with an AC adapter, rechargeable batteries, and an optical connecting cable. It will be available in March at a suggested list price of $499 US.

  • Leonard Layton, Marketing Director at Lake DSP, predicts that Dolby Headphone could appear in consumer electronic products by the 3rd quarter of this year - PC and DVD versions even sooner.

  • Zoran Corporation demonstrated a prototype headphone surround processor that runs the new QSound algorithm designed specially for their new ZR38601 Programmable Digital Audio Processor. The processor was shown operating with conventional wired headphones, as well as IR and RF wireless headphones. Since the design does not require expensive off-chip SRAM, and uses an inexpensive AKM CODEC, Zoran claims that it is the least expensive headphone surround processor available offering such high quality "out-of-head" performance. Zoran offers complete design details of the decoder & virtualizer, including schematics and pc layouts, free of charge to qualified OEMs. Dolby licensing is required. Affordable products based on Zoran's technology are already being developed and could be on the shelves as early as the second half of this year.

  • Mitsubishi has compressed SRS Labs' headphone surround processor technology (SRS Headphone) into an integrated circuit for OEMs. The new chip, designated the M62458FP, is "the industry's first implementation of SRS 3D sound that is customized for stereo headphone applications." The circuit can be activated and deactivated by an on/off function switch, has left and right line level inputs and outputs, and a supply voltage operating range of 4.5 to 12 volts.

    Picture of HeadRoom's AirHead portable headphone amplifier.

  • HeadRoom Corporation has finished redesigning the AirHead portable amplifier (the first version had inadequate EM/RF shielding). The new version appears to be slightly smaller than the original. It measures 2.75" W x 4.5" L x 1" H, runs off two AA batteries for up to 15 hours and retails for $179. HeadRoom offers 4 custom bags for the AirHead: the Airbag (portfolio briefcase style), the Extreme Suspension (strapped around the chest with elastic suspenders), the Obic (belt-pack) and the Brick (standard, rectangular padded case with shoulder strap). To celebrate the return of the AirHead, HeadRoom is offering a limited-time discount when purchasing the AirHead with select model headphones.

  • Diamond Multimedia Systems has released its Monster Sound MX300 PCI soundcard with Vortex 2 3D sound technology from Aureal Corporation. Vortex 2 can simulate an acoustic space from two or four loudspeakers or headphones, and has received excellent reviews in the PC and gaming press. The MX300 can accelerate up to 96 DirectSound streams for more responsive game play, features 320 studio quality voices, and supports DVD and Dolby Digital as well as MP3 tools. The minimum system requirements are: MS Windows NT4 or MS Windows 95/98 or MS DOS, 90MHz Pentium CPU, 8M RAM and 16M hard drive space. The list price is $99.95 US.

  • VLS Systems has filed for bankruptcy. As many of you already know, the Sennheiser DSP360 and DSP Pro were manufactured by VLS under contract to Sennheiser (VLS also sold their own processors under the Auri brand). Before closing its doors, VLS was able to meet the terms of the contract and complete delivery of the DSP units. Sennheiser will continue to provide servicing and warranty support for the Lucas, DSP360 and DSP Pro. It is currently evaluating several technologies on which to base its next generation of processors. The demise of VLS, a pioneer in the field of consumer acoustic simulators for headphones, is both sad and ironic, given the growing market demand for 3D headphone sound. One industry insider commented that the VLS founders were better engineers than businessmen.

  • In addition to Ken Kessler's review of Stax headphones mentioned above, readers might want to take a look at Hi-Fi Choice's survey of headphones by Charlotte Ricca ("Headphones: SuperTest," Hi-Fi Choice, 1/99). The headphone brands reviewed were Audio-Technica, beyerdynamic, Grado, Koss, JVC, Sennheiser and Vivanco. The beyerdynamic 831S was the Best Buy. The three recommended models: Audio-Technica AT-40, the Grado SR-125, and the JVC 200.

  • Also, John Borwick reviewed the Sennheiser HD470 headphones in the January issue of Gramophone (p. 122). Mr. Borwick noted the HD470s for their warmth, but lacking deep bass and slightly bright in highest register. Overall, he gave the headphones a recommendation. In that same issue was the 1999 Hi-Fi Buyers Guide edited by Ivor Humphreys (p. 124). In the Headphones category, the Audio Choice 1999 was the Stax Nova Signature (the Sennheiser HD600 was the Audio Choice 1998).

DIYers can look forward to new headphone amplifier construction articles by Andrea Ciuffoli, Jan Meier and Chester Simpson in the HeadWize Projects Library. Ciuffoli's "No-Compromise" tube amp is the latest installment in his quest for the best headphone amplifier. Meier's design incorporates an acoustic simulator with "natural" crossfeed. Simpson's amp uses two opamp gain stages and a discrete bipolar output stage.

Whew! This update is the longest I have written so far. If you hear any industry news out there, please email me. The next Announcements update will be in April.

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