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In Reply to: RE: A good headphone sytem will "soundstage" surprisingly well... posted by Travis on July 16, 2013 at 17:39:03
Binaural is/was a completely "viable" technology. However, it is one that requires special recording equipment and techniques that typical recording studios have had no real use for. And, while binaural has been viewed as an "audiophile" technology, it has never had the market potential it needed to succeed in the past - partly because the typical audiophile has always owned loudspeakers and because they have eschewed headphones as a sort of second-rate way to listen to music. Also, "multi-channel" was seen by the audio industry as the most profitable new gimmick they could possibly sell. All this is now changing!It is also a myth that binaural recordings are "not compatible" with two-channel loudspeaker setups. Refined binuaral recording techniques have clearly shown this, as Chesky records has demonstrated. The same binaural recordings that sound so great with headphones now work extremely well with loudspeakers. In fact, binaural might surpass the potential for spatial realism that space-hogging multi-channel loudspeaker arrays once promised to deliver.
The time for binaural technology has finally arrived. A new crop of young(er) audiophiles are following (rather than fighting) mass market trends and compact audio solutions like desktop headphone systems are the rage among them. It is now up to the major recording studios to follow cue and begin investing in binaural recording technology. If/when that ever happens, music lovers (of all ages) will be hard pressed to deny the "viability" of binaural recordings or headphone-based audiophile systems.
Edits: 07/17/13 07/17/13 07/17/13 07/17/13
You're such an optimist, or something.
"All this is now changing!"
Headphones are more popular now, mostly with young people. They're cheaper and sound good for the money. It has nothing to do with binaural.
I have never heard a binaural recording sound like anything but big monaural over loudspeakers. I haven't heard the Cheskys on speakers. That's one company. I have been listening to binaural since the 60s and making binaural recordings since the 70s. I think I know what most binaural recordings sound like over loudspeakers. They're crap.
"The time for binaural technology has finally arrived." It's been arriving since the 50s. Show me the arrival.
"The new crop of younger audiophiles are following (rather than fighting) mass market trends"
Really? They've ALWAYS followed mass market trends. That's why the mass market does so well and the audiophile market has that specialized sliver of market presence.
I really love your vision of the future and I want to live on that planet. Beam me up now.
"If people don't want to come, nothing will stop them" - Sol Hurok
Actually, I have no "vision of the future". But, I am hopeful...And, I think I can say with confidence that some people are unaware of the potential of modern binaural recording technology. Binaural recordings available in years previous were not necessarily made to audiophile standards, nor were they made to sound good on both headphones and two-channel loudspeaker setups. In the past (unlike today), recordings made to exploit the potential of headphones could never have made much of a dent in the marketplace.
You are, however, right in saying that one of the reasons why headphones are more popular today is because they are cheaper than loudspeakers. Headphones are also more popular than ever because compact audio is probably the only type of audio that can be expected to succeed in today's marketplace. For these reasons (though there are other reasons), the modern audiophile is also likely to be a headphone person.
The time is ripe for the "missing link" in the modern audiophile's setup to be exploited. But, until we realize and/or admit that recordings made to sound correct on loudspeakers are not necessarily the best thing for us, our hobby will not continue to move forward as it might otherwise do.
There are some incredibly advanced headphones being made for audiophiles today. What a shame it is that the recordings we are listening to are not of the correct type for headphone use. Things are not up to snuff.
Edits: 07/18/13 07/18/13
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