Many of us will be aware of Dirac's talents; the Swedish company has been a pioneer in digital audio processing, its patented technologies increasingly finding their way into hi-fi in a bid to optimise their performance based on listening environments. Dirac Live – calibration technology that measures the acoustics of a room and optimises performance accordingly – lives inside the What Hi-Fi? Award-winning NAD C 658, for example.
In the summer, it was announced that Dirac would be integrated into a pair of forthcoming Klipsch headphones – its audio algorithms will work to correct the headphones' impulse and frequency response to improve their sonic performance. And now it seems we can expect Dirac to play a greater part in the next generation of wireless headphones.
Dirac has announced that its spatial audio technology is now available in the major processor chipsets for Bluetooth headphones. These chipsets are made by the likes of Mediatek, BES and Qualcomm.
The Dirac integration should mean two things. Firstly, thanks to Dirac’s Dynamic HRTF technology, a stereo headphones' soundstage should be more immersive – more in-line with a home theatre experience. Secondly, Dirac’s response correction algorithms should work to digitally optimise the drivers and, in Dirac’s words, deliver a “clearer, balanced sound with richer, tighter bass”.
In addition to new Klipsch headphones, Dirac says a future pair of RHA headphones will also feature the technology. “We’re in active talks with several more [manufacturers]," said Peter Cedmer, director of product management, headphones, at Dirac.
He continued: “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.” We look forward to hearing the results.
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