Why dont we see active headphones?

[Superaintit]

With all the miniturisation going on lately (class D amps, USB stick sized dacs) it would seem a logical step to make.

How hard can it be?

 

[hoopsontoast]

How would you get power to them? A mains cable into the wall or USB cable into a laptop?

 

[NHL]

With all the miniturisation going on lately (class D amps, USB stick sized dacs) it would seem a logical step to make.

How hard can it be?

Sooner or later, we will see it. It might take 5 years, 10 years or 20 years.

 

[Deliriumbassist]

The only active headphones I know of are the Vox amPhones. They're used for silent guitar practice, and are powered by AAA batteries.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

What do you mean by active headphones?

- is it as in active speakers, i.e. active crossover and amps feeding the drivers directly? if so, then all single driver headphones are 'active' as they do nto have any crossover and the amp is driving the single driver directly. Have never heard of a multiple driver headphone with active crossover. possibly because any advantages would be grossly overweighted by disadvantages

- is it as in powered on its own? if so, then it is absolutely possible. A device the size of ipod shuffle can be easily built into the cans and will not only dirve the headphones but also power the player part - for several hours. I am sure there are portable players built into headphones already on teh market. Not sure though if there is any point of plugging the things into wall outlets.

 

[John Duncan]

Presumably because the vast majority only have one driver so don't need a crossover?

 

[lindsayt]

Headphones have a single transducer per ear. Therefore headphone systems do not have nor need an active crossover before the amplification and they do not have nor need a passive crossover between amp and headphone. This makes them neither active nor passive in the traditional sense of these terms. You get the same thing with single driver Lowther-type speaker systems.

If you mean, why isn't the amplification on the headphone itself? Well that would be possible, but all you're saving is the lead from the output of the amp to the headphone at the expense of a longer lead from the source to the amp. I suppose you could have a digital streaming source, amp, and headphone all built into one. Then you'd need a battery pack or mains lead. Or you could go for a solar panelled sombrero with source, amp and headphone all built in, which would be a pretty neat way of listening to music when the sun was shining.

 

[steve_1979]

As has been said already passive crossovers in headphones aren't an issue because most of them use single full range drivers.

Earphones with multiple balanced armature drivers could be made active though. But they'd need to have their own custom made amplifier packs with the crossovers built in to work. While this may give a small improvement in sound quality I doubt that there's a big enough market for anyone to invest in manufacturing them which is a shame as I would be interested because I prefer multiple balanced armature driver IEM's to single dynamic driver IEM's.

 

[Superaintit]

What do you mean by active headphones?

- is it as in active speakers, i.e. active crossover and amps feeding the drivers directly? if so, then all single driver headphones are 'active' as they do nto have any crossover and the amp is driving the single driver directly. Have never heard of a multiple driver headphone with active crossover. possibly because any advantages would be grossly overweighted by disadvantages

- is it as in powered on its own? if so, then it is absolutely possible. A device the size of ipod shuffle can be easily built into the cans and will not only dirve the headphones but also power the player part - for several hours. I am sure there are portable players built into headphones already on teh market. Not sure though if there is any point of plugging the things into wall outlets.

yes , I mean the last option: powered by an amp inside the headphones. Then an iPod for instantie could easily be paired with high end headphones. wireless transmission of a digital signal is a logical next step. It works like a charm in my current system, there are plenty of small amp and Dac designs around; so why not minaturize?

IIRC there a few examples but always designed as a compromise for convenience. I remember from 25 years ago that there were headphones with wireless transmission alteady. Then it was new but why arent there now more examples of them around?

 

[Crocodile]

Don't understand the question? There are any number of bluetooth & other digital wireless headphones available, all with their own amplification in the headset. My Sennheiser RS220 to name just one.

 

[gowiththeflow]

My noise cancelling headphones, that I use for long flights, have electronics built-in and run off a single AAA battery.

My wife's run off a re-chargeable battery, that can be left in place when recharging.

Apart from the signal cable, connecting to the amp (or airline seat socket), they must be very close in weight and size to a self contained pair of headphones with a built-in receiver and DAC or iPod/mp3 type player on-board.

With current networking technology, it should be very easy to stream digital signals to a pair of good quality cordless headphones.

 

[MajorFubar]

yes , I mean the last option: powered by an amp inside the headphones.

Wireless headphones like my RS180s already have this, and a DAC. In fact the only notable thing missing from the RS180s is a digital input on the base-unit, which instead takes a line-level analogue feed and shoves it through an ADC.

 

[gasolin]

Bluetooth headphone

 

[CarlDW]

The Sony NWZ-WH303 and NWZ-WH505 have an MP3 player built in, so there is no need for any wires to any other device and are battery powered - all self contained.

 

[steve_1979]

Don't understand the question? There are any number of bluetooth & other digital wireless headphones available, all with their own amplification in the headset. My Sennheiser RS220 to name just one.

I think he meant 'active' as in having more than one driver for each ear and each driver has it's own seperate amplifier. It's not really necessary for headphones though because most just use one full range driver rather then multiple drivers with crossovers.

 

[Al ears]

Possibly because there is absolutely no market for them which ever way you define 'active'. .