Quote:
Originally Posted by turboflame /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I would think that the drivers would all be too close together to really make it sound like you're surrounded.
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Yeah, they're trying to cram several drivers in the same space that companies stick one larger driver. The quality of the drivers in good stereo headphones are quite a bit better than those in surround phones.
As for surround, its not that important to me. I've never really been immersed into a surround signal on speakers. I prefer the clarity and detail I get from good headphones. Also, the intimacy of headphones really improves non-action scenes to my ears. That, and binaural or holophonic recordings are just as good if not better, although obviously the amount of content recorded thusly is pretty limited. Dolby Headphone and Creative's CMSS-3D Headphone (on the X-Fi, where they finally implemented Aureal's technology from several years back) do a decent (some people are wowed, others like it less) job of simulating that. Oh, and really good headphones tend to offer their own manner of immersing you in the sound with good soundstage and spatial placement.
Hopefully Smyth's surround technology can reach a mass audience somehow, as the feedback on it has been very positive.
Personally for me, headphones sound great, regardless. I've never been bothered by the extreme channel separation (except on certain recordings which were mixed in an odd manner, such as all the vocals on one side and the instruments on the other, things like that) or any other issues that seem to bother some listeners (not saying their viewpoint isn't valid, it just doesn't apply to me).
