WSJ article about new speaker technology

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https://www.wsj.com/articles/exotic...c6b6xo4gztb&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

 

[proufo]

Ho-Hum.

 

[steelydave]

Not sure about the disdain for this article - in my opinion effective, convincing headphone-based surround is the final frontier for acceptance of the format. When you look at every successful audio format of the last 40 years (cassette, CD, mp3) the common denominator was, and is, the existence of high-quality portable versions from 8-track decks in cars, to walkmans and discmans in the '80s and '90s, to the iPod revolution of the '00s.

The quality of portable headphones and earphones has come on by leaps and bounds in the last 15 or 20 years - I have a couple of pairs of $300 headphones (one open back, one closed back) and they rival anything I've heard from a $5000 stereo speaker array. Innovations like solid-state silicon drivers (the focus of this article) will only make things sound better, and I for one am here for it. I can't wait for the day I have the power of something like the Smyth Realiser as an app on my phone, and a pair of headphones or IEMs that sound as good as a set of studio monitors for a fraction of the price. Imagine how easy it would be to "sell" surround to friends if the only financial commitment is a pair of headphones, a surround virtualization app for their phone, and a streaming subscription?

 

[RustyStatic]

Not sure about the disdain for this article - in my opinion effective, convincing headphone-based surround is the final frontier for acceptance of the format. When you look at every successful audio format of the last 40 years (cassette, CD, mp3) the common denominator was, and is, the existence of high-quality portable versions from 8-track decks in cars, to walkmans and discmans in the '80s and '90s, to the iPod revolution of the '00s.

The quality of portable headphones and earphones has come on by leaps and bounds in the last 15 or 20 years - I have a couple of pairs of $300 headphones (one open back, one closed back) and they rival anything I've heard from a $5000 stereo speaker array. Innovations like solid-state silicon drivers (the focus of this article) will only make things sound better, and I for one am here for it. I can't wait for the day I have the power of something like the Smyth Realiser as an app on my phone, and a pair of headphones or IEMs that sound as good as a set of studio monitors for a fraction of the price. Imagine how easy it would be to "sell" surround to friends if the only financial commitment is a pair of headphones, a surround virtualization app for their phone, and a streaming subscription?

Hey Dave, assuming you did lots of research before landing on those headphones - do you mind sharing what you arrived at? I’m very curious! I went nuts on a Focal pair at the beginning of Covid and actually sold them back because the expense just seemed silly and I don’t usually like listening to music that way… but I wouldn’t mind revisiting the option with a solid recommendation.

 

[Doug G.]

If they can't reproduce the entire visceral bodily experience as with speakers, which headphones or earbuds lack, forget it. No matter how wonderfully these devices reproduce mid and upper frequencies, there is no substitute for the involvement of your whole body.

Doug

 

[Petr Kropotkin]

...Imagine how easy it would be to "sell" surround to friends if the only financial commitment is a pair of headphones, a surround virtualization app for their phone, and a streaming subscription?

Sounds intriguing, but how does that enable Chris Squire's bass to travel to my chest and make my lungs resonate?