![]() ![]() Since then ‘Stereo’ meant exactly the same as it does today, meaning a two-channel, spatial presentation. Only later works by Alan Blumlein made the distinction clearer. Historically speaking it is true as back then there was no real difference between 'stereo' and 'binaural' listening. The English Wikipedia dates history of binaural music playback back to 1881 to the first binaural unit called the Theatrophone, same information can be found on Bowers & Wilkins blog (more HERE). Today ‘stereophonic’ means 'two-channel' for both, loudspeaker and headphone listening and 'binaural’ is used exclusively for special recordings intended for headphone listening. An interesting fact – today we call a two-channel sound: stereo, although once stereo and binaural were synonyms. But there is a way out of it – binaural recordings (Latin for ‘twofold, two apiece’). This problem is gone when we listen to music using headphones but it also affects spacial relations in music causing a specific sound presentation described by people not used to headphones as „sound inside the head” which some simply don't like. So when we listen to music using loudspeakers the way were are build influences the sound we can hear. Short version – when we listen to music using loudspeakers each ear can hear both, right and left channel – the left ear receives directly sound from left channel but also from the right channel changed by HRTF, and the right ear receives directly sound from right channel and HRTF modified sound from left channel (more HERE). It is about so called head-related transfer function (HRTF). ![]() These are phase shifts and changes of sound level caused by a distance between ears and anatomical structure of our nose and ear. ![]() Cans allow to eliminate any influence of the room one listens to music in, and also a specific changes in the signal caused by ITD (interaural time difference) and ILD (interaural level difference). Listening to music using headphones differs significantly from listening using loudspeakers (or horns in the past). These facts mean that this year we should celebrate the 120th anniversary of headphone presence in music fans homes. Apart from music subscriber could also listen to a mess from local church (more HERE). Subscribers to the pricey service would listen through headphones that looked more like stethoscopes than a modern offerings as very large people produced very big sound on a stage miles away. Thanks to the Electrophone system, in 1895 folks could start rocking out to the sick beats of the local opera house from the comfort of their own home. It was not until 1881 that Théâtrophone Clementa Adera system was presented in France, that, starting in 1890, was used for listening to musical and theatrical spectacles from Opera Garnier over phone lines.Ī similar invention was commercialized in Great Britain. The first headphones were not designed for music at all, they were used by phone operators in 1870ties and 1880ties. There is a special technique though, developed for headphone music playback – such recordings are called binaural, and they are not the best choice for loudspeaker playback. When using cans one won't really hear any benefits from Qsound but sound quality won't be worsen either. Its effects might be really surprising, but what's equally important is that when one listens to such recordings using headphones all the spacial relations within the recording also seem OK. Cracow Sonic Society Meeting I mentioned Qsound – a technique improving spacial effects in stereo recordings intended for loudspeakers playback. ![]()
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