Two small microphones in the earcups of a wireless headset

It might be an idea, but I am certainly not the brains behind Neumann. Binaural recording implies that certain conditions must be met. The first of all is the positioning of the capsules. In order for the simulation of human hearing to be as realistic as possible, the capsules should ideally replace the eardrums, which are not located near the outermost line of the ear but about 2/2.5 cm deeper at the end of the auditory canal identified by the primary ear. It seems like a triviality, but the auditory canal already creates an initial bend in sound perception. Its length implies that certain frequencies are perceived more strongly due to the resonance created within the canal. Furthermore, the capsules must be strongly cardioid for high frequencies and cardioid for low frequencies to recreate the behavior of the human ear. The Neumann head then faithfully reproduces the density of the human skull precisely because we do not only listen to the sound that strikes directly on the eardrum, but also to the frequencies filtered by the skull coming from other directions. In essence, the cost of 7000 euros is somehow "justified" by the fact that this head for binaural recordings is a work of extremely high engineering. It seems difficult to me that a pair of earphones can achieve the same results promised and certified by Neumann. Certainly, it can nonetheless be a good start for those who need to make non-professional binaural recordings and thus without great pretensions.

Yes, but 7000 euros seems a bit too much for two microphones placed inside a head. In the end, how much can the audio quality actually change?

In audio, unfortunately, a lot of money is spent to get a small increment, and every link in the audio chain matters. For example, it's useless to get a Neumann head if you then have to plug it into a Fast Track, just as it's useless to buy a 3000 euro preamp if you then plug in your singer's microphones. In short, the sound is influenced by all elements of the audio chain; if you miss one, it's as if you've lost them all. In any case, it must be said that this idea is nice and worth experimenting with, but I believe even whoever designed it knew well that the result cannot be at professional industry levels. Binaural recordings are very difficult. A friend had a thesis specifically about these techniques, and sooner or later I will find the time to read it. I know what it's about, but I have never delved into the world of binaural recording, partly because in terms of listening, to enjoy its properties, it must be heard through headphones. It is also true that today headphones are used much more than they were 30 years ago, so this could also be a business... Creating versions of productions recorded with stereo techniques and versions of those same productions recorded with binaural techniques.