The ideal supplement to mp3surround is Ensonido which allows
playback of 5.1 surround sound over stereo headphones. More information about
this latest development by Fraunhofer IIS is available on www.ensonido.com.
An Introduction To Ensonido
Ensonido was developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS. It simulates the natural reception of surround sound by the human ear, which usually receives tones from e.g. six surrounding loudspeakers and from reflections and echoes of the listening room. The »out-of-head« localization achieved that way increases the listening comfort noticeably in contrast to conventional stereo headphone listening with its »in-head« localization of all sounds.
Ensonido processing can be implemented on a playback device or in the headphone itself. Thereby the user gains a number of additional benefits:
He or she can select from various room simulations which model different sound environments such as a cinema or a church. Because Ensonido works excellently with mp3 Surround, AAC or the forthcoming MPEG SurroundT, the listener can choose his favourite audio format. Or he may even decide to switch off Ensonido in order to revert to the conventional stereo experience.
As an optional feature, Ensonido includes a head-tracking mode, which continuously adjusts the playback position of the sound sources according to the listener's head movements. For example, while listening to a live concert, the singer will stay localized at the stage even if the listener turns his head into direction of the audience.
