Sony MDR-HW700DS

Steve Withers takes a look at Sony's new HW700 digital wireless headphones and finds out whether they deliver on the promise of the 'world's first' 9.1-channel surround experience.

Een hoofdtelefoon is volgens sommige puristen de allerbeste manier om te genieten van muziek in stereo. Maar twee kanalen zijn niet genoeg voor Sony, want hun HW700DS pocht 9.1-surround naar je twee oren te brengen. Kan dat?

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The two-piece MDR-HW700DS comprises headphones and HDMI surround processor. The latter sports three HDMI inputs and one output, plus optical digital audio in/outputs and a pair of stereo phono inputs. Typically users will forgo the control buttons on the processor itself and run the system entirely via the headphones. A small knob on the bottom of the right-hand earpad calls up the menu system for the processor onscreen. The cans also offer input and DSP effect controls, plus a volume dial; mastering these takes a little time.

How good can surround sound be through a pair of headphones?