This time it’s a headphone amplifier specifically for the recently popular VR goggles. It’s designed to enhance the sound quality of VR, bringing the virtual world closer to the real world for a more enjoyable experience.
Here are the products:
Satri Circuit Laboratory VHA-5240A
https://www.exclusive-audio.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=825
Satri Circuit Laboratory VHA-5240B
https://www.exclusive-audio.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=827
Satri Circuit Laboratory VHA-5240C
https://www.exclusive-audio.jp/shop/products/detail.php?product_id=829
Since it is intended to be attached to VR goggles, it is very small and lightweight. You need to attach a separate battery for operation, but even so, there is no particular discomfort when wearing it. The case is manufactured in-house using a 3D printer, which greatly contributes to keeping costs low. The models that were sent still have some rough areas in their construction, but since they have introduced a high-precision 3D printer, the cases will likely become even more precise in the future. The case material is lightweight and high-strength, with carbon fiber woven in.
There are three types: a model with a belt loop and volume controlVHA-5240Aand a model without volume controlVHA-5240B,and a model that omits the belt loop to be a headphone amplifier usable anywhereVHA-5240C。
Connection is made from the VR goggles’ headphone jack to the amplifier. It also supports goggles that have separate left and right outputs. The amplifier’s output supports both ordinary stereo types and types with independently separated left and right channels. For VR goggles without volume control, using the VHA-5240A with volume control allows you to adjust the volume as you like. If the goggles already have volume control, you use the VHA-5240B, which has no volume control. By removing the volume control, the input impedance has been significantly increased, resulting in higher precision and richer sound compared to the 5240A.
I actually tried watching VR while wearing it. VR visuals take up a significant portion of the sensory experience. Even so, 360-degree ambient sound is essential to achieve virtual reality, and the quality of binaural sound determines the sense of realism. From a sensory perspective, I’m not sure if it really makes sense to make music concert footage into VR, but I think the sound gained a stronger sense of depth. Personally, footage of traveling through foreign countries gave a clearer impression of binaural effects with the VHA-5240. In other words, it became easier to understand the distance of sound sources, or more precisely, it increased the sense of reality in a way that synchronized better with the visuals. For that reason, some gamers have also commented that it made it easier to gauge the distance and position of their surroundings, so it can be said that this product is more suited for games where you want to enjoy virtual reality.
Since it is also low-priced, it might be the optimal product for those who want to immerse themselves further in virtual reality!
