Getting Started | Headphone Dust Knowledge Base

What is a Headphone Dust MKV?

Headphone Dust Definitive Digital Edition releases use the Matroska (MKV) container. Think of an MKV as a "virtual Blu-ray" that holds multiple high-quality files in one place. Our MKV files include: - Hi-Res Stereo (FLAC 24-bit/96kHz) - Best for: Headphone listening or high-end 2-channel Hi-Fi systems. - Compatibility: Universal. Works on almost any device. - Hi-Res 5.1 Surround (FLAC 24-bit/96kHz) - Best for: Traditional 5.1 home theater setups without Atmos speakers. - Compatibility: Excellent. Most modern AVRs and PC players. - Dolby Atmos (E-AC3 / Lossy) - Best for: Mobile devices (iPhone/iPad/Mac), Windows PC users, and streaming-focused setups. - Compatibility: High. This is the same format used by streaming services. It provides a spatial 3D experience even on hardware that doesn't support "Lossless" TrueHD. - TrueHD Atmos (Lossless / Uncompressed) - Best for: The ultimate listening experience on dedicated home theaters. - Compatibility: Restricted. Requires hardware capable of "Passthrough" (like the Nvidia Shield or a PC with specific settings) and an Atmos-capable AV Receiver. - 4K visuals (on select releases only!) - Best for: Watching music videos/visualisers alongside uncompressed Dolby Atmos audio! - Compatibility: Universal - you only need a video player compatible of playing H.265 content!

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Recommended Media Players for our MKV files

Not all media players can "read" the audio sources on our MKV files correctly. For a seamless experience, we recommend: - Best for Hi-Res Stereo and Hi-Res 5.1 Surround playback: VLC Media Player. Available for Windows, Mac, and Mobile. It handles high-res FLAC and 4K H265 video effortlessly. - The Apple Choice: Infuse Pro. Highly optimised and offers smooth 4K H265 playback with support for Dolby Atmos E-AC3 with Airpods Pro/Max on iOS/iPadOS/macOS/tvOS. Please note, an Infuse Pro subscription is required to enable Dolby Atmos playback. - The Audiophile Choice: Plex, MPC-HC or Kodi, combined with a connected AV receiver is essential for decoding the bitstream signal and playing Dolby TrueHD Atmos. Remember to enable HDMI audio bitstream passthrough in the settings of your player app. - The Library Choice: Plex, Kodi or Infuse Pro. Best if you want to organise your Headphone Dust collection into a "Netflix-style" digital gallery (we really recommend doing this, it's awesome!).

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Choosing the Right Audio Track

Learn which of the 4 audio tracks in your MKV provides the best experience for your specific headphones or speakers. When you open a Headphone Dust MKV, your player will default to Hi-Res Stereo, as it's the most widely compatible. However, you have four distinct audio tracks to choose from: - Hi-Res Stereo: Select this if you are using headphones or a traditional 2-speaker Hi-Fi setup. This 96kHz/24-bit FLAC track offers the most direct and detailed 2 channel experience. - Hi-Res 5.1 Surround: Select this if you have a 5.1 Surround Sound home theater but do not have overhead/Atmos speakers. - Dolby Atmos (E-AC3): Select this for Apple Spatial Audio when using Infuse Pro on iOS/iPadOS/macOS/tvOS or Windows with the Dolby Atmos app installed. This version is optimised to work with the virtual surround processing in your Apple device (we recommend Airpods Pro/Max!) or Windows computer. - TrueHD Atmos: Select this ONLY if you have an Atmos AV Receiver and hardware that supports "Passthrough" (like the Nvidia Shield TV Pro). This is the lossless studio master.

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Accessing your PDF Booklets

Your Headphone Dust download also includes a high-resolution PDF which you can find as one of the downloadable files you get access to after checkout or via the link in your order confirmation. You can download and open it using any standard PDF reader app to enjoy the artwork and liner notes while you listen.

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Tips for Downloading

Headphone Dust releases are archival-grade, meaning the files are significantly larger than standard music downloads (often ranging from 10GB to 50GB, depending on the content!). - Use a Wired Connection: If possible, use an Ethernet cable rather than Wi-Fi to prevent data drops during the long download process. - Storage Requirements: Ensure your destination drive is formatted as NTFS or exFAT. If your drive is formatted as FAT32 (common on older USB sticks), the download will fail because FAT32 cannot store any single file larger than 4GB. - Browser Downloads: If your browser "times out," we recommend using a dedicated Download Manager (like JDownloader) which can resume a download if your connection flickers.

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Why You Shouldn't Use Built In TV Apps to play back Headphone Dust MKV files

We strongly advise against playing our Headphone Dust MKV files using the built-in apps on your Smart TV. - The Limitation: While your TV might have "Atmos" listed in its specs, this almost always refers to the lossy standard Dolby Atmos E-AC3 version. Most TV operating systems (WebOS, Tizen, etc.) cannot pass the massive Dolby TrueHD Atmos data stream from an internal app to the eARC port. - The Symptom: If you try to play our MKV through a TV's internal Plex app, the server will likely "Transcode" the audio, downgrading it to standard 5.1 or Stereo to make it compatible. - The Fix: Use an external player (Nvidia Shield TV Pro or Apple TV 4K) plugged directly into your sound system for the best results.

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026

Understanding the Audio Tracks in your MKV

Each Headphone Dust MKV is a "Master Container" featuring four distinct ways to listen to the album. You can switch between these tracks using the "Audio" menu in your player (VLC, Plex, Infuse, etc.). 1. Hi-Res Stereo (FLAC 24-bit/96kHz) - Best for: Headphone listening or high-end 2-channel Hi-Fi systems. - Compatibility: Universal. Works on almost any device. If you are listening on headphones, we recommend a good quality headphone amplifier to get the most out of the 96khz quality! 2. Hi-Res 5.1 Surround (FLAC 24-bit/96kHz) - Best for: Traditional 5.1 home theater setups without Atmos speakers. - Compatibility: Excellent. Most modern AVRs and PC players. 3. Dolby Atmos (E-AC3 / Lossy) - Best for: Apple devices (iPhone/iPad/Mac used with Airpods Pro/Max), Windows PC users, and streaming-focused setups. - Compatibility: High. This is the same format used by streaming services that support Dolby Atmos (Apple Music, TIDAL etc). It provides a spatial 3D experience even on hardware that doesn't support "Lossless" TrueHD. 4. Dolby TrueHD Atmos (Lossless / Uncompressed) - Best for: The ultimate immersive listening experience on dedicated home theaters. - Compatibility: Restricted. Requires hardware capable of "Passthrough" (like the Nvidia Shield or a PC with specific settings) and an Atmos-capable AV Receiver.

Last updated on Feb 08, 2026