By enabling spatial audio natively in wireless headphones, Dirac is to ensure that headphone manufacturers will be able to continue to differentiate their offerings in a highly competitive market, and consumers can enjoy immersive, high-quality sound from standard stereo content regardless of the playback device or media player – for elevated music listening, gaming, and movie watching experiences.
“The integration of spatial audio onto the headphone DSP is an industry-first and a major leap in the evolution of audio technology,” said Peter Cedmer, Director of Product Management, Headphones. “Traditionally, digital sound optimisation technology for headphones has had to run on smartphones, media player, or other playback systems. Dirac’s ability to integrate its algorithms directly into wireless headphone chipsets opens up a new world of innovation and differentiation.”
Dirac’s spatial audio solution comes with two key features: spatial audio and speaker optimisation. The spatial audio feature is enabled by the company's patented Dynamic HRTF technology, creating an immersive stereo listening experience from standard stereo content similar to what is achievable with a home theatre system, without requiring specifically encoded spatial audio content.
The speaker optimisation feature is delivered by Dirac’s patented magnitude response correction and impulse response correction, digitally enhancing headphone performance without an expensive hardware upgrade. The result, according to Dirac, is improved sound quality with clearer, more balanced sound with a richer, tighter bass.
“While TWS earphones miniaturize, and the size of the speaker drivers are further reduced, consumers continue to expect great sound quality from these increasingly small devices,” said Cedmer. “Our solution empowers wireless headphones to stand out in a fiercely competitive market by delivering superior sound quality from smaller form factors than ever before. The speaker optimisation feature can even be offered alone, without the spatial audio feature, to OEMs that focus solely on maximizing headphone sound quality.”
Headphone manufacturers are able to integrate the Dirac solution into chipsets from leading Bluetooth DSP vendors, such as Mediatek, BES, and Qualcomm.
“We’ve already had two leading companies – Klipsch and RHA – integrate Dirac into soon-to-be announced headphones, and we’re in active talks with several more,” added Cedmer. “As Dirac becomes standard in more headphones, OEMs will have more opportunity to competitively differentiate from one another and deliver their customer-base an increasingly impressive sound experience.”
