I have a need to listen to TV and DVD audio using headphones while the family is sleeping or working.

I do not want big headphones, I want to use my in-ear style headphones.
This will allow me to sit, lay down, slouch, without needing to worry about bulky headphones.

I am looking for some form of device that will connect to the AVR output on one end, and a small wireless unit that I can keep around the couch and plug my headphones into.

Since I often listen to 5.1 audio it would be ideal if the device can take a digital 5.1 input and transform that into 2 channel audio at the headphone end.
If this is not available I will have a problem going from 5.1 to 2 if I do not want to plug the AVR side of the device into the headphone outlet for this will mute the sound.

What are my options?


Regards
Pieter

You've probably solved your problem by now, but you can go with Pioneer DIR-SE800C system. This includes a "base unit" as well as wireless headphones (which you can choose to not use if you'd like to use your own wired earbuds).

The base unit supports a digital connection (optical or coax) to your multi-channel source and puts out the Dolby Headphone decoded L/R analog output to either (a) the wireless headphones, or (b) a wired headphone jack on the front of the base unit. The base unit includes an amplifier and volume control for these wired headphones connected through the headphone jack.

You will get the DD2.0/5.1/DTS decoded multi-channel surround virtual sensation through your headphones (or the wireless Pioneer headphones). Or, as I do, you can connect better headphones (like my Stax Omega-I) through a headphone amp (like my Stax SRM-T1S), connected to the wired headphone jack on the Pioneer base unit. This sort of uses the Pioneer unit as a "preamp", feeding the Stax amp... for much more impressive sound to the eventual headphones. I even have a DBX EQ in between the Pioneer unit and the Stax amp, for 14-band tone control on what I'm hearing through the Stax headphones.

The Pioneer base unit also supports L/R analog connections to some L/R analog source, if you want to use it for just that. You select the analog or multi-channel digital input via a button on the base unit. Also supported are the usual DH1/2/3 and Dolby PL-II choices.


Actually, I have a Pioneer DIR-SE1000C (which is similar to the SE800C but I feel superior). They also make a SE2000C model (which is newer, but I feel inferior for wired headphones in that they have reduced the amplifier quality in the base unit).

You can also go with a Philips SBC-HD1500 which is similar, but doesn't support optical digital connection... only coax.

P.S. - you won't get quality sound from earbuds, if that's important to you.

DSperber:
i have the se-dir800c pioneer unit. i'm attempting to connect it to a dennon avr5803 that does"t appear to have any output digital connection but the headphone jacek on the front panel. any suggestion? is the front phone jack digital?
any help please and thank you,
kurt