Possibly stupid headphone question.

Orionaut

Orionaut

Orionaut

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How do USB headphones actually work?

The sound is actually very good! (Just got some today, never experienced before)

It all comes out of a four wire USB socket! :confused:

So, These headphones basically must have their own data processor, D>A amplifier and whatever!

All all powered out of a USB line!

I have to say, I am stunned!

:/
 
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Orionaut said:
How do USB headphones actually work?

The sound is actually very good! (Just got some today, never experienced before)

It all comes out of a four wire USB socket! :confused:

So, These headphones basically must have their own data processor, D>A amplifier and whatever!

All all powered out of a USB line!

I have to say, I am stunned!

:/
Click to expand...

What about wireless headphones?

MIND BLOWN!
 
Hades said:
How about wireless noise cancelling headphones...

MIND MELTS!
Click to expand...
I've got a pair of them in the garage, great for lawnmowing even if they are getting on a bit and look a tad industrial...


Orionaut said:
How do USB headphones actually work?

The sound is actually very good! (Just got some today, never experienced before)

It all comes out of a four wire USB socket! :confused:

So, These headphones basically must have their own data processor, D>A amplifier and whatever!

All all powered out of a USB line!

I have to say, I am stunned!

:/
Click to expand...
Basically they've got a mini usb soundcard in them, depending on the quality of the unit it can do some funky things (5.1 surround for example), I think my brother got a planktronics set about 15 years ago which was ok, but tended to overheat and crash if you used it for a long time whilst gaming & voice comms.
 
yeah the speakers must receive analog, so a chip would lie in them or on the cable joints. Must take a little additional power for the chip i guess (i actually don't have any idea) but am thinking : power into the chip - power used to run chip = signal output to the driver. Compared with using direct cable to the soundcard
 
My Desktop speakers (Audioengine a2+), run from USB, they have a DAC in them. They sound much better plugged in like this rather than using the 3.5mm socket as it bypasses all the computers sound processing. It might work better with a quality sound card, but I don't have one of those

The headphones will be doing the same thing
 
neilw said:
My Desktop speakers (Audioengine a2+), run from USB, they have a DAC in them. They sound much better plugged in like this rather than using the 3.5mm socket as it bypasses all the computers sound processing. It might work better with a quality sound card, but I don't have one of those

The headphones will be doing the same thing
Click to expand...
Sounds VERY odd?

I suspect that the DAC in the USB line is "modifying" the sound rather than that the output is nearer to the original sound . . . . -or- it is time to invest in a new Motherboard or a decent sound card ;)
 
neilw said:
Maybe I'm no expert :)

https://audioengineusa.com/shop/poweredspeakers/a2-plus-powered-speakers/ Have a look here if your intrested
Click to expand...
I am no expert either but am genuinely interested in sound reproduction. Leaving aside the general racket at a gig and focusing on opera and classical music there is a distinct difference between live and reproduced music - even with a decent audio system playing at high levels.

I believe that some years ago, a manufacturer of high quality speakers organised an event where they invited professional musicians and journalists to a hall in which they positioned a chamber music ensemble, a high quality tape recorder, amplifier and their speakers on the stage behind an opaque but acoustically transparent curtain. The (experienced and highly qualified) audience expressed no statistically significant preference for either source - sadly they didn't include a PC playing through Audioengine A2s or a ghetto blaster in the test ;)

I have Googled and can't find any reference to this but I do believe that it happened.
 
stockhausen said:
Sounds VERY odd?

I suspect that the DAC in the USB line is "modifying" the sound rather than that the output is nearer to the original sound . . . . -or- it is time to invest in a new Motherboard or a decent sound card ;)
Click to expand...
Built in USB soundcard could also have some kind frequency response compensation curve to improve frequency reponse of speakers to more flatter.
But more likely would be that modifying to make them sound different from neutral to claim some better sound.

Anyway used DAC is PCM2704, which is very basic DAC.
In fact's it's below average Realtek chips!
http://noaudiophile.com/AudioEngine_A2_Plus/
http://www.ti.com/product/PCM2704
 
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