OSSIC with Stereo

Demo 2: 2 Channel Audio

Ok, so for the next demo, I have the version 6 or 7 prototype (out of 9 in case you didn’t read the full interview) with some stereo audio. If you’ve read some of my headphone reviews previously, you may recall that I usually use Pink Floyd’s Echoes as one of my sample pieces. Well no Echoes here unfortunately, the demo is on a laptop with some software on it for switching between normal 2 channel and OSSIC’s “naturalised” stereo sound. I’m happy to note however that they do have a couple of Pink Floyd songs on the selection.

The headphones themselves are pretty large and have a small circuit board on top. They’re plugged into a big box which is plugged into the laptop.

Joy (the OSSIC CTO) explains that for the prototypes, everything was built large to prove the engineering principles of the audio before worrying about miniaturisation. They’ve done the engineering now and have the mock up final size for me to look at. It’s pretty big, but not huge. There’s no boom mic hanging out and Joy explains to me that there’s a mic array as they wanted it to be easily portable without too much stuff hanging off the headphones.

I pull on the prototype and hit play. The familiar introduction sound of “Money” starts to play. Now I realise why they’ve chosen this song. Right, left, left, right, right, right, right, right, left, right. Unmistakeable. And what I’ve been accustomed to hearing on headphones for years. The opening 12 seconds are a completely segregated audio experience of discrete left then right sequential sounds, this continues but with some overlay from both channels as the guitar comes in with that iconic riff.

Joy restarts the song and clicks the control to switch over to the naturalised OSSIC audio soundscape. Wow. The effects are dazzling. This is Money as I first heard it on my dad’s stereo when I was a kid. Yes left and right, but more… natural. Left isn’t a hard left. It’s a left that’s there, but as Jason mentioned in the interview, bits of the left also reach the right, just a bit later and a bit quieter. I’m not quick enough to try to pick out the money sounds and measure the delay in my head, I try it a couple of times restarting the song but give up and decide to focus on the experience. It’s excellent.

While writing this article, I fired up Money again at home, trying it on the HyperX Cloud II's (my current usage gaming headset) and switching back and forth to the PC's speakers. They're right you know, the discrete left right in headphones is very unnatural, at least I found it so.

Another Pink Floyd song now. Time. Again, I understand the choice. The introduction with its famous clocks chiming left and right sets the soundscape again. Once again I’m clicking the switch to change back and forth between stereo and naturalised stereo. Again, the difference is huge and I prefer the OSSIC sound.

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