[aponcel]

After reading very good opinions, especially John's review, about the Pioneer Digital Headphones, I've decided to buy them. In a local audio store, they've said me there are a new wireless digital from Sony, but I've not found any review or opinion about them. Anyone knows the new Sony DS6000?
Thanks,
Antonio

 

[Carl]

Sony's headphone surround DSP isn't as good as Dolby Headphone. The Philips DH units (especially the wired one) are more musically competant than Pioneer's unit, although the both work pretty similar for films. Onkyo and Audio Technica also both make DH units. For best results, use a high quality headphone with a standalone DH processor such as the JVC SU-DH1.

 

[aponcel]

During the last 8 years, I've being using a Sennheiser Lucas processor with a corded Sennheiser HD-570 headphones.
Now I'd like wireless headphones and a better DH unit.
Nobody knows the DS6000 Sony's?
Antonio

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aponcel During the last 8 years, I've being using a Sennheiser Lucas processor with a corded Sennheiser HD-570 headphones. Now I'd like wireless headphones and a better DH unit. Nobody knows the DS6000 Sony's? Antonio

I own another one of Sony's units. I strongly recommend you get something with DH rather than Sony's VPT. Strongly.

 

[aponcel]

Thanks Carl.
I've had not very good experience with Sony Headphones. My dad has a RF ones: noisy, propietary batteries, ...
I'll try to test the Pioneer 800C (it's difficult to get the 2000C model in Spain, because at the moment I think Pioneer only sells it in Japan

).

Antonio

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aponcel Thanks Carl. I've had not very good experience with Sony Headphones. My dad has a RF ones: noisy, propietary batteries, ... I'll try to test the Pioneer 800C (it's difficult to get the 2000C model in Spain, because at the moment I think Pioneer only sells it in Japan ). Antonio

If you're in Europe, go for the Philips HD1500U (make sure its the improved "U" version, not the original HD1500). You can find them all over the place in Germany.

 

[aponcel]

Thanks again, Carl.
I've been researching a little and I can order the Philips 1500U in a shop in my town (but without test it before). Probably, I can test the Pioneers this week in another shop. The Philips in Spain are cheaper than the Pioneers (around 400$ Philips and 500$ Pioneers).
If the 1500U are cheaper and better, I think I'll go to get these cans, but I've had several problems in the past with Philips electronic equipment technical/customer service in my country and ... I am hesitate to order without test the cans.
Antonio

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by aponcel Thanks again, Carl. I've been researching a little and I can order the Philips 1500U in a shop in my town (but without test it before). Probably, I can test the Pioneers this week in another shop. The Philips in Spain are cheaper than the Pioneers (around 400$ Philips and 500$ Pioneers). If the 1500U are cheaper and better, I think I'll go to get these cans, but I've had several problems in the past with Philips electronic equipment technical/customer service in my country and ... I am hesitate to order without test the cans. Antonio

Yes, all of us in countries where Philips is a major player know about their build quality and customer service. ^_^; I haven't had any issues with my HP1500 since buying it, though, so I don't think this is something to be particularly cautious about in this instance.

 

[Liver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl Sony's headphone surround DSP isn't as good as Dolby Headphone. The Philips DH units (especially the wired one) are more musically competant than Pioneer's unit, although the both work pretty similar for films. Onkyo and Audio Technica also both make DH units. For best results, use a high quality headphone with a standalone DH processor such as the JVC SU-DH1.

Regarding the bolded part. I have the Pioneer 2000's and I just hooked up my Sony 5ks to the wired port and they were stunning.

I have never heard the Philips unit, but I can't imagine it sounding any better. The difference from the wired to wireless is night and day (but that could also be a small function of the headphones).

I also have the JVC SUDH1 and the sound is similar, but the Pioneer unit is much more convenient. I.e. many inputs, coax and toslink, remote, and option for wireless. Worth the money over the JVC.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liver Regarding the bolded part. I have the Pioneer 2000's and I just hooked up my Sony 5ks to the wired port and they were stunning. I have never heard the Philips unit, but I can't imagine it sounding any better. The difference from the wired to wireless is night and day (but that could also be a small function of the headphones).

This is certainly the case (currently running electrostatics from mine). I have yet to compare the headphone out of the various units other than the fact that my Philips unit is far superior to my Sony one, and this is ignoring the Dolby Headphone v Sony VPT thing.

For the casual headphone user, the big advantage the wired Philips unit has is that it comes with a HP1000, which is actually a really nice headphone in its own right, but for crazy people like us head-fiers with our owning multiple $1000+ headphone-ness that is hardly a big deal.

 

[Liver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carl This is certainly the case (currently running electrostatics from mine). I have yet to compare the headphone out of the various units other than the fact that my Philips unit is far superior to my Sony one, and this is ignoring the Dolby Headphone v Sony VPT thing. For the casual headphone user, the big advantage the wired Philips unit has is that it comes with a HP1000, which is actually a really nice headphone in its own right, but for crazy people like us head-fiers with our owning multiple $1000+ headphone-ness that is hardly a big deal.

very true. Most, if not all, surround recordings are done with the Dolby algorithm (for speakers). I wonder if the headphone units that have Dolby Headphone have a distinct edge over ones that don't use it (like the Sonys). Even thought the quality may be higher (I have no personal experience with Sony surround headphones).

The Philip units are hard to find in the states. Either way I had to import them. Went with the Pioneers.

 

[Carl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Liver I wonder if the headphone units that have Dolby Headphone have a distinct edge over ones that don't use it (like the Sonys).

DH is significantly better than the available HRTF-based algorithms (but is still inferior to custom HRTF measurements). Sony's VPT is a pile of turds by comparison to DH.

Quote:

The Philip units are hard to find in the states. Either way I had to import them. Went with the Pioneers.

All of them are hard to get here, and I had no interest in the wireless headphone part of the equation, so that made my choice easier.

If I was in Japan it might have been interesting, considering Pioneer, Onkyo, Audio Technica, and JVC/Victor all make DH units.

 

[Keymaster]

I realize that this is an old topic but some incorrect information has been given, which future readers may be mislead by. The SONY MDR-DS6000 was stated in numerous post in this topic to support only Sony's virtual surround, but it in fact it does have an optical digital input and a Dolby Digital decoder. Like the Pioneer SE-DIR800C, which the topic starter also mentioned requesting a comparison, they both support Dolby Digital. The major technical difference is the Sony uses a 2.4 GHz RF connection, while the Pioneer uses an Infrared connection.

 

[TR909]

The key difference being Sony's unit does not support Dolby Headphone, which is by far the superior decoding method over Dolby Digital which is not optimized for headphone use.

 

[Keymaster]

Thanks for the clarification TR909. Both headphones do use the same decoding technology however, since Dolby Digital is the decoder. Dolby Headphone is the digital signal processing technology which is as you suggested is arguably superior to Sony's Virtualphones Technology. In addition, Dolby Headphone processing occurs in the processor enabling it to work with any headphones connected to it.