Binaural devices are preferred for serious audio listening.
Binaural and monaural devices are commonly available on the market. Deciding between the two is fairly straightforward if you know what you are looking for. Binaural devices are excellent for music listening and surround sound systems whereas monaural devices are better suited for communication and simple tasks that don't require extreme clarity of sound.
Channels
Recordings have the option of splitting into several channels. The most common division is into two channels, commonly known as binaural. With advancements in technology, it has become possible to create surround sound systems that can divide into many more channels than two. However, a speaker system designed to play these multiple channels is preferred, as each channel directs to a separate speaker. When a device has only two channels and a particular movie or song uses more than two channels, the device will reroute each channel and divide it between the number of available channels.
Monaural Devices
Monaural appears on devices not capable of splitting the left and right channels of a stereo recording. These are generally the cheapest devices and are suitable if the goal is simply to listen to the spoken word. They are not suitable for listening to music, as music divides into two channels. With speeches and lectures, it is not necessary to split the speech into two separate channels. Most often, monaural devices are used on headsets that you might find in a drive-through or telephone. The receiver of a telephone is typically a monaural device since it is only capable of splitting information one way.
Binaural Devices
Binaural are stereo devices have speakers that split into two different channels. Each channel directs to a specific ear -- left or right. The brain then combines these two channels as if they were coming from one source. By differentiating the sounds into two channels, the listener gets a more realistic sound. Binaural devices more commonly will be marketed as stereo devices. These devices are suitable options for listening to music as they correctly route most music to the appropriate channels. Only with DVDs is it even possible to route to more than one channel. The reason for this has to do with bit rates and data space available on the disk.
Surround Sound
Another category of devices are surround sound devices. These devices require several different channels and speakers to work properly. Many people have seen systems that boast 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. These systems are capable of breaking up and splitting audio from binaural and monaural devices into five or seven different speakers. The .1 refers to a subwoofer that provides an enhanced bass experience. Both 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound uncommonly occur in music recordings, but they are common in movies. Media designed for surround sound devices will automatically trim down to work on a binaural or monaural device.
Tags: Binaural devices, into channels, monaural devices, surround sound, surround sound
