[FahimSarker]

Is it possible to utilize the multi-driver setup for a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound configuration?

 

[msing539]

The most drivers I've seen in an iem is 64.

In a traditional 5.1 or 7.1, speaker placement gives the directional cues.

Maybe with dsp... I don't think the number of drivers really matters and I wouldn't expect it to sound like a speaker setup.

 

[dunring]

It's been tried with the Asus Centurion headset with individual drivers so it's a true 7.1 not simulated. The resolution and imaging was its downfall compared to accurate stereo.
I've tried all the sound cards for virtual and nothing beats stereo with excellent channel matching. I use mainly single driver IEMs. Still have yet to try a multi driver that doesn't get at least one of them wrong with tuning.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

The most drivers I've seen in an iem is 64.

Really? What IEM was it?

In a traditional 5.1 or 7.1, speaker placement gives the directional cues.

Yeah, this was my reaction. There is no way any IEM or speaker is going to do surround.

Maybe with dsp... I don't think the number of drivers really matters and I wouldn't expect it to sound like a speaker setup.

We kind of an interesting experience on webex one day, it sounded like the voices were coming from around a table. I don't remember if it turned out to be a webex feature or some DSP on a conference room mic but I'll be dipped, it sure sounded like surround. I know you do a lot of conference calls, have you observed this?

DSP can definitely make the perception and for that even single driver headsets or IEMs would be enough.

 

[msing539]

Really? What IEM was it?

It was the Jerry Harvey Bertha... cause she was a big girl. I do lots of Zoom and Teams calls but I've never heard directional or surround sound. But now you've made me want to experience it.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

That's unreal. Did you bag a pair?

Yeah during the call I actually heard voices behind me to the point I had to turn my head and check... it was a true W/T/F/ moment

 

[msing539]

That's unreal. Did you bag a pair?

Yeah during the call I actually heard voices behind me to the point I had to turn my head and check... it was a true W/T/F/ moment

Oh no, I've never heard the thing... I question the coherency on sets with like 12 drivers.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Oh no, I've never heard the thing... I question the coherency on sets with like 12 drivers.

That makes sense, you have to give that one a wiiide berth

P.S. When I read your updated sig real quick just now instead of ZMF Master | VSA Static Oval, what I got was Mastercard/Visa. I'm sure it's just me

 

[msing539]

Missed opportunity...

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Missed opportunity...

I'll be arsed to respond:

 

[msing539]

I'll be arsed to respond:

Funny that they put Fat Bottomed Girls on the same promo as Bicycle Race. Surely this was intentional irony.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

Funny that they put Fat Bottomed Girls on the same promo as Bicycle Race. Surely this was intentional irony.

Agreed, they probably blew out more than one rear tire along the way

 

[ProtegeManiac]

Is it possible to utilize the multi-driver setup for a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound configuration?

You're confusing drivers for channels.

Drivers in an IEM are like...well...drivers in a speaker. Like how a speaker can have any number of tweeters, midrange, midwoofer, and woofer.

Channels are how many such speakers are in a system, plus the subwoofer, ie the ".1" or ".2" in an HT system.

You can have a five channel system where the mains are 3-way, five driver designs like how an IEM can be a 64 driver or whatever, then you have a center channel, rear channels, side channels, Atmos, and subwoofer that have no equivalent on a 2ch multidriver IEM...or on a 2ch audio system using the same 3-way fiver driver tower (as in this example) but without the center channel, the side channels, Atmos, and subwoofer.

 

[gimmeheadroom]

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/the-discovery-thread.586909/post-17722222

 

[castleofargh]

Is it possible to utilize the multi-driver setup for a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound configuration?

The short answer is no.
First is the matter of channels, IEMs are stereo products. It could have a silly plug with like 8x2 rings plus ground, but then what sound source would feed all those channels? I don’t think IEM user want to carry around some AV receiver under their arm.

Another issue, physical now. We humans and most animals locate directions around us using a mix of delay in the sound between each ear, and frequency response differences(like how if sound comes from the left, the left ear will tend to get more treble than the right ear that has the entire head blocking the direct path. It gets more complex, but let’s say it’s one variable for FR changes). So even if we could separate channels in an IEM, your perception of the direction wouldn’t be good. Only some processing to change the sound of each channel like you would normally get it from each given direction can do that. But then we don’t really need 7.1 anymore, we can also process the all thing back into stereo(as ultimately we only have 2 ears). It’s all about getting enough data about your own body, not so much about the number of real channels.
That’s why it’s not an interesting concept to get multichannel IEM. Multichannel headphones are slightly better because the drivers can be placed so the outer ear interacts with the sound and gives you a few of the sound changes you’re used to get from your body for that direction(increasing the odds of it feeling more realistic). But it’s incomplete and it’s still usually more effective to rely on software to simulate directions, even with those devices, the software side is often the most important. Plus in those constrained spaces, the interactions between drivers and their need to be small, means the objective fidelity of the sound is usually quite bad.
Sadly even software will mostly suck if you just happen to have a head and ears noticeably different from the model they used in the simulation. Some advanced solutions exist where you record at your own ears the sound from an actual 7.1(or more, or less) speaker system in the forms of impulse responses for each direction/speaker, and convolution for your headphone(IEMs can be used but require more manual tweaking of the frequency responses that most people won’t know how to do well. Headphones are still a better choice overal). Those personal measurements and systems gives a more convincing spatial audio than basically anything standardized/non custom made. And the output is still stereo.