[Freeze]

Is it possible to get a wireless headphone with audiophile quality?

 

[alv4426]

Yea, get some LCD2, walk around your house with them on  and get the wire tangled on your mountain of top ramen then run away and poof wireless audiophile cans. jkjk..... Na all the ones I have used are pretty bad but there was a heafi Tv episode that had some senns (I think) that are supposed to be really good but they were like $500 or something

 

[Freeze]

Yea it seems that every wireless headphone is garbage. There is technology that transmits perfect 1080p video/audio wirelessly i think its called wireless hdmi. Alienware has it on thier laptops. So they can transmit the huge bandwidth requirements of 1080p in perfect quality why cant it be done for headphones?

 

[sidel]

Quote:

there was a heafi Tv episode that had some senns (I think) that are supposed to be really good but they were like $500 or something

Link to video.
 
Basically:  yes,  but you're likely going to have to pay for it.  I'm sure there are cheaper models that do admirably,  but I've never tried one that didn't sound just terrible.
 
@Freeze
Different technologies.  I'm not incredibly familiar with what you're talking about,  but I'm willing to bet it operates off your actual network,  which obviously won't travel well for headphones.

 

[Freeze]

no it doesnt, it operates off 60ghz wireless. you need a special card installed in laptop and a receiver installed on tv. It transmits in 60ghz full 1080p video with 0 lag

 

[TMRaven]

Guess it depends on how hardcore the audiophile you talk to.  If you run in to the cable-buff  type, then probably never.  

 

[sidel]

Quote:

no it doesnt, it operates off 60ghz wireless. you need a special card installed in laptop and a receiver installed on tv. It transmits in 60ghz full 1080p video with 0 lag

I stand corrected.  Higher frequency band = more data can be carried.  This doesn't look any greater/different than what is already available for headphones.  I think it's really a matter of finding a company that knows how to balance both the headphone production and wireless integration,  not us being limited by either technology.

 

[Freeze]

like what I would love is like a flagship headphone like the hd800 or edition 8's coming in wireless and wired versions. Both exactly the same audio quality.

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

I stand corrected.  Higher frequency band = more data can be carried.  This doesn't look any greater/different than what is already available for headphones.  I think it's really a matter of finding a company that knows how to balance both the headphone production and wireless integration,  not us being limited by either technology.

Well, a higher carrier frequency doesn't necessarily mean that there's more data.  It's not like the baseband equivalent is 60 GHz.  Honestly, you don't need incredible bitrates to support audio, even high-resolution formats (which are of questionable utility for playback anyway).
 
The issue is fitting in an antenna, RF processing hardware, DAC, amp, and battery, all inside the headphones.  Obviously there will be compromises made to do so.
 
But the real hurdle is not the technical challenge, but the market.  Those looking for absolute top-quality sound will not believe it is possible in such a product, or they will prefer to use their own DAC, amp, and so on.
 

 

[MalVeauX]

Quote:

like what I would love is like a flagship headphone like the hd800 or edition 8's coming in wireless and wired versions. Both exactly the same audio quality.

This would be awesome. But, as it is, that receiver for the headphone receives everything and it has to discern between the signal that it wants, and the zillions of other signals that are also bouncing into it. There will be latency issues due to that. Just like how a sustained wireless signal even on the high end, can be dropped, or slowed, etc. If that happens during a high end bit rate recording is streamed, you'll hear it.
 
Very best,

 

[Freeze]

well i just find it strange you can get lag free crystal clear 1080p wirelessly but cant do it to that level with wireless audio

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

This would be awesome. But, as it is, that receiver for the headphone receives everything and it has to discern between the signal that it wants, and the zillions of other signals that are also bouncing into it. There will be latency issues due to that. Just like how a sustained wireless signal even on the high end, can be dropped, or slowed, etc. If that happens during a high end bit rate recording is streamed, you'll hear it.
 
Very best,

How does that matter (in an appreciable manner) if the other signals are at different frequencies?  Also, keep in mind the data rates of wireless connections and the data rate required by audio?  Also there's going to be a buffer feeding the DAC, that's probably not going to underflow at least in normal use?

 

[fabio-fi]

Quote:

well i just find it strange you can get lag free crystal clear 1080p wirelessly but cant do it to that level with wireless audio

Good point man. Sennheiser kleer line headphones are not that bad though. 

 

[alv4426]

 
Quote:

This would be awesome. But, as it is, that receiver for the headphone receives everything and it has to discern between the signal that it wants, and the zillions of other signals that are also bouncing into it. There will be latency issues due to that. Just like how a sustained wireless signal even on the high end, can be dropped, or slowed, etc. If that happens during a high end bit rate recording is streamed, you'll hear it.
 
Very best,

MalVeaux, I am very disappointed where is the signature "Heya"? I guess when you reach grand master status it isn't necessary... You know at one point we had the same amount of posts, around 20... Mal rules, just needs a mullet and he would be the dude from Your Highness

 

[mikeaj]

Quote:

well i just find it strange you can get lag free crystal clear 1080p wirelessly but cant do it to that level with wireless audio

 
Given enough bandwidth, the wireless data transmission itself is not that difficult.  See my earlier post about the other issues.