Word: surroundding
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...revolution's great leaps forward was encoding Dolby Digital surround sound on each disc--three channels in front, two in the back for atmosphere, plus a subwoofer to provide true-to-life rumbles and thuds. Until that point we had known only two-channel stereo sound, whether from a CD, the TV or a videotape...
...help is on the way. One option, introduced a few years ago but only now catching on, is a Dolby-certified surround-sound wireless headphone system. Sony, which introduced its flagship set, the MDR-DS8000 ($800), last year, is about to roll out the MDR-DS3000 ($300). Pioneer this month will begin selling its first pair, the SEDIR800C ($475), and in August Philips will launch its SBC HD1500...
...concept of the surround-sound headphone is, well, heady. Though surround sound is made for five speakers, we only have two ears. Sound from each of the five speakers ricochets off every surface in a room, reaching our ears at different times. Our brains analyze it all to discern where the sound is coming from. (Sound from behind is duller, because it has to pass through the skin flaps of our ears.) The headphones come with processors that analyze incoming sound tracks and transform them into two-channel tracks. This replicates the behavior of sound coming from five speakers...
...good do the headphones sound? We found they compare positively with even a medium-price surround-sound setup. In our tests (listening to Finding Nemo), we discerned no difference between the five-speaker system and the new Sony and Pioneer models. The only times we missed real speakers were in scenes with lots of bass. The headphones were no match for the rumble of a good subwoofer. But with the headphones you're able to find Nemo without neighbors wondering what you're looking...
...seen in the diverse collection on the runway, nor any misstep in the execution of the multimedia display encompassing the 40-foot catwalk specifically designed for the production. The show’s organizers, student theater group BlackCAST, bypassed the typical runway venues in favor of a surround-sound multi-sensory experience of movement, expression and talent, creating what one crew member described as “a virtual playground...