Dolby Headphone FAQ

Questions

1. What is Dolby Headphone technology?
2. Do I need to use any particular type of headphone?
3. Is the ".1" channel on 5.1-channel material reproduced by Dolby Headphone technology?
4. Does Dolby Headphone technology require any special adjustments to my system?
5. Can Dolby Headphone technology be used with DVD-Audio?
6. What kinds of products can incorporate Dolby Headphone technology?
7. Why are there two Dolby Headphone technology logos: one saying Dolby Digital and the other Dolby Pro Logic II?
8. Does Dolby Headphone technology work with processors that create a surround effect?
9. What are Dolby Headphone-encoded files on the new DualDisc™?

1. What is Dolby Headphone technology?

   Dolby Headphone technology gives you the sound of a five-speaker surround playback system through any pair of headphones. It accurately models the surround sound listening experience of a properly set up and calibrated 5.1-channel speaker system, making it ideal for personal and portable surround listening.

   Dolby Headphone reproduces the audio signal’s entire sonic signature, from the initial impulse to the final decay, and every reflection in between. It uses a highly sophisticated room-modeling algorithm that places images accurately, so you hear a multichannel soundtrack the way its producers intended it to be heard.

   Dolby Headphone can also simulate a two-speaker stereo system and can be featured in PCs, portable DVD players, A/V receivers, digital TV sets, and wireless headsets.

   Plus, Dolby Headphone eliminates the "listener fatigue" phenomenon common to headphones, replacing it with a spacious and natural soundfield that listeners can enjoy for hours.

2. Do I need to use any particular type of headphone?

   No, Dolby Headphone technology works well with all types of headphones, from the inexpensive headsets the airlines provide to high-end electrostatic headphones. Of course, the better the headphones, the better the overall sound.

3. Is the ".1" channel on 5.1-channel material reproduced by Dolby Headphone technology?

   Yes. During playback of 5.1 material, the low-frequency effects of the ".1" channel are mixed into the Left and Right channels prior to Dolby Headphone processing—giving you the 5.1 surround sound experience.

4. Does Dolby Headphone technology require any special adjustments to my system?

   No. Dolby Headphone technology works well without the need for any individual adjustments or fine-tuning. The only thing you need is a system capable of processing audio with Dolby Headphone technology.

5. Can Dolby Headphone technology be used with DVD-Audio?

   Yes. Dolby Headphone technology can be used with the 24-bit/96 kHz audio encoded with MLP LosslessTM that is on DVD-Audio discs. One of the most exciting features of DVD-Audio is that it’s bit-for-bit identical to original studio masters. So now you can enjoy the best possible audio quality anywhere—whether you’re watching a portable DVD player, viewing digital TV at home, or using any other device that accepts headphones. And yes, it can also work with wireless headphone applications.

6. What kinds of products can incorporate Dolby Headphone technology?

   Dolby Headphone technology can be included in almost anything with a headphone output. This includes portable DVD players, PCs, digital TVs, wireless products, and virtually any other device that can process stereo or multichannel audio and is equipped with a headphone output.

7. Why are there two Dolby Headphone technology logos: one saying Dolby Digital and the other Dolby Pro Logic^® II?

   Dolby Headphone is designed to process a 5.1 signal. It can also process stereo sources, but the stereo signal must first be converted to a 5.1 signal. Products can feature either of these logos, depending on the manufacturer.

   So, products with a Dolby Pro Logic II/Dolby Headphone logo use the Dolby Pro Logic II technology to expand stereo content to 5.1-channels, which are then processed through Dolby Headphone. Listeners are able to get a 5.1-channel surround sound experience from a stereo source with any pair of stereo headphones.

   Products with a Dolby Digital/Dolby Headphone logo decode 5.1-channel Dolby Digital soundtracks and apply Dolby Headphone processing to the multiple channels. Because the material is already encoded with 5.1 Dolby Digital, the multiple channels are discrete. Dolby Headphone then gives the listener a 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound experience from any pair of headphones.

8. Does Dolby Headphone technology work with processors that create a surround effect?

   Yes. As is the case in a multichannel speaker system, Dolby Headphone technology can be used in conjunction with processors that give stereo material a surround effect.

   For example, five- and seven-channel matrix decoders with Dolby Pro Logic II and Dolby Pro Logic IIx, respectively, provide a wider, more enveloping soundfield on many conventional stereo recordings. Dolby Headphone technology (in its multichannel mode) reproduces these expanded soundfields to great effect, making them sound rich and natural.

9. What are Dolby Headphone-encoded files on the new DualDisc™?

   These new discs combine traditional DVD and CD formats with HE AAC files that are encoded with Dolby Headphone technology. You can download these files to your personal MP3 player and enjoy the sound quality of Dolby Headphone technology in devices that do not have Dolby Headphone capability.

      Return to Dolby Technologies Overview>