Thrustmaster has today announced a new addition to its line of audio accessories with the T510 Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder + Dolby Headphone, the first portable decoder and headphone set with Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone technologies.
The three major gaming consoles – Playstation 2, Xbox, Gamecube – all support this product. This portable unit is also PC and DVD player compatible. The T510 headphones deliver crystal clear surround sound, placing you right in the center of amazing audio action, without disturbing the neighbors or keeping family members awake late at night. Stunning 5.1-channel sound is achieved with the Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone technologies included in the unit.
Valerio C. Faggioni, Games Manager – Europe at Dolby Laboratories commented, "This new product will revolutionize the gaming world, offering truly immersive surround sound to a wider audience by providing an all-in-one solution. Surround sound changes the way you play and keeps you alive for longer, as you can hear your enemies creeping up behind you!"
The T510 is sold as a complete solution, with a set of comfortable headphones, a pocket-sized decoder which includes Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, and Dolby Headphone, and all the cables required to get a true surround sound effect from the headphones, whether they are attached to your games console, your PC, or your DVD player. Also included are standard optical cables for Playstation 2 and PCs, RCA cable and specific optical cable for the XBox. The decoder includes 2 AAA rechargeable batteries, so you never have to worry about batteries running out. For those looking to share the experience with a friend, simply use the additional port to plug in any set of normal headphones and achieve the same immersive effect.
"By offering these headphones together with a decoder, Thrustmaster aims to provide a truly complete, high-tech solution allowing users to experience the full effect of Dolby Digital surround sound", explains Gilles Raulet, Producer at Thrustmaster. "Games are increasingly being encoded in Dolby Digital (Xbox and PlayStation 2 games) or Pro Logic II (PlayStation 2 and GameCube), therefore this new product will allow users to get the most out of the integrated soundtracks. Movies on DVD – for which Dolby is the industry standard – come to life when listened to in surround sound, whether played on a console or stand-alone DVD player."
The T510 Dolby Digital 5.1 Decoder + Dolby Headphone will be available in Europe November 2004 priced at €149.99. U.S. distribution is expected early 2005.