MDR-IF5000 Headphones

Headphone quality

Sony's high-end headphones have always been well-designed, and the DS5000's are no different. Based on an open-ear design, the cups fit lightly around the ear, with the padded drivers pressing against the ears slightly, but not uncomfortably. The unit is lightweight and was made to be comfortable for long periods of time - after all, you'll need to at least be able to sit through an entire DVD movie for them to be useful, right? The open-ear design keeps the ears cool while the driver distance keeps out external noise when the headphones are on and functioning.

The MDR-IF5000 Headphones

Another great feature is auto-power. When the headphones are placed over the head, a self-adjusting head strap is stretched to best support the headphones. The strap however also functions as the power switch - as long as the headphones are on your head, they'll stay on. When removed, the strap moves back to default position and the headphones turn off. For a wireless device, this is a great battery-saving feature.

On-headphone controls

Left IR Receiver and battery case

The headphone unit takes two AA batteries (rechargeable NiMH cells are included in the package), which fit into the receiver module above the left driver unit. The right unit contains a small power indication LED, and sliders for balance and volume. Infrared receivers are mounted on both sides of the headphone, so you don't need to worry about directional line of sight, very useful if you're just listening to music and walking around the room.

2.0 discrete speakers

Well all this has been quite an educational ride, but one thing might be a little confusing. If we're talking about support for Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, how does it work through a headphone decoder set? Well, longtime FiringSquad readers are no doubt familiar with (or have at least head of) the concept of HRTFs, or Head Related Transfer Functions. Used extensively in the surround-sound mode of current-generation sound cards such as the Turtle Beach Montego II, Diamond Monster Sound MX300, and Sound Blaster Live!, HRTFs take advantage of the fact that you have two ears to duplicate 3D sound.

How does this work? Well, simply put, as sound waves approach you from any direction, they are obstructed by parts of your body, such as your earlobes or your head before they reach your hearing center. Depending on direction, sound waves also reach one ear before the other, and the ones that reach the later ear are sometimes more obstructed than the first. Taking advantage of this fact, scientists have placed tiny microphones inside different points of the ear to measure how a known sound is perceived from each ear at different locations. Using a fast DSP, developers are now able to manipulate sounds to mimic those effects in real-time, and with a simple pair of headphones, users can enjoy the sensation of true 3D without the need for a surround speaker setup.