Surround sound added to MP3 file format
updated 07:35 pm EST, Tue January 3, 2006
MP3 surround sound support
iPod users everywhere may soon enjoy theater-like surround sound from simple stereo headphones, following today's announcement of the . Utilizing MP3 SX (MP3 Stereo eXtended) technology that allows enhancing MP3 stereo files for multi-channel playback, "MP3 Surround" presents the feeling of envelopment by using the ambience sounds already present in the stereo source. The new format enables high-quality surround sound at bit rates comparable to those currently used to encode stereo MP3 material, and is backwards compatible to stereo MP3; a legacy MP3 device plays back MP3 Surround as high quality stereo.
Traditionally, surround sound has been primarily limited to loudspeaker setups in living rooms or theaters. With the Ensonido technology, the individual listening experience through portable MP3 Surround players and stereo headphones is enhanced. The company said that it uses an acoustic model to simulate the natural transmission of multi-channel sound from the loudspeakers to the human ear.
Heh
01/03, 10:18pm reply
SRS anyone?
Jesda
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005
wow
01/03, 11:17pm reply
wow just in time for everyone to have already abandoned mp3 for aac... yippee
l008com
Professional Poster
Joined: Jan 2000
Couple of things
01/03, 11:43pm reply
First, will it work with surround-sound headphones out there (not just faking it as if it were just stereo headphones).
Second, this won't make it in the iPod for like 5 years, if ever. Apple has put their balls in the AAC camp, they're not going to switch back.
It also won't take off in general, as most people could care less about such things, esp. with regards to music. And who wants to re-rip all their songs, anyway.
Oh, and really, if the source isn't in surround-sound format, all this does is (a) fake a surround sound and (b) destroy the sound of the music the way it was intended...
LouZer
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2000
funny
01/03, 11:44pm reply
MP3 has always been surround sound capable, because Dolby Pro Logic is encoded in stereo.
Next!
porieux
Baninated
Joined: Mar 2001
furthermore...
01/03, 11:46pm reply
The only way to do 'surround sound' with headphones and not have it be a joke is through Binaural recording..
porieux
Baninated
Joined: Mar 2001
Sorry
01/04, 01:48am reply
I don't really get the utility of surround sound in headphones unless it is as porieux describes above, but i would like it when I airport my laptop library to my stereo.
MacnnGregor
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Joined: Apr 2004
aac multichannel
01/04, 02:52am reply
hasn't aac been multichannel from the start?
adrian_milliner
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2005
aac multichannel
01/04, 02:57am reply
From http://www.apple.com/quicktime/technologies/aac/
"Support for multichannel audio, providing up to 48 full frequency channels"
So if an AAC player (like iPod) could do the fake surround thing with headphones you'd be sorted.
Don't think anyone need worry that ye olde mp3 is now better than aac.
adrian_milliner
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2005
Why bother...
01/04, 03:48am reply
As I understand it:
MP3 Surround v2 - Bolt-on multichannel support for the MP3 format. Backwards compatible with non-surround players.
Ensonido - allows the new multi-channel MP3s to be played on non-multichannel players.
MP3 Stereo eXtended - fake surround sound (stereo imaging enhancer) for two channel outputs.
In no way is this going to magically add surround sound to the iPod. The iPod only has two channel output, adding support for this codec would be a waste of time that could be better spent adding the iTunes Sound Enhancer to the iPod, which would have an effect on any format played back.
siMac
Mac Elite
Joined: Aug 2004
And another thing...
01/04, 03:52am reply
I'm getting tired of MacNN's sensationalist headlines:
"iPod users everywhere may soon enjoy theater-like surround sound from simple stereo headphones!!!"
Yeah. OK.
Combined with the constant spelling and grammar mistakes I'm starting to wonder who's running this show...
siMac
Mac Elite
Joined: Aug 2004