Is Surround Sound Worth It?

[Oswin]

currently planning to get the Cooler Master MH 752, but is it worth it over the 751?

is the surround sound actually worth it? or its better to just keep the money and keep it for the next upgrade?

 

any constructive opinion is appreciated

 

 

 

 

*please consider that both are priced similarly at my country

[Metallus97]

12 minutes ago, Oswin said:

currently planning to get the Cooler Master MH 752, but is it worth it over the 751?

is the surround sound actually worth it? or its better to just keep the money and keep it for the next upgrade?

 

any constructive opinion is appreciated

 

 

 

 

*please consider that both are priced similarly at my country

Hey! Audio engineer here!

This topic triggers me! THIS IS NOT SOUROIUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry)

Get a decent sound card (most mobos and games already do this, use decent headphones -> souround "feeling")

 

[Oswin]

1 minute ago, Metallus97 said:

Hey! Audio engineer here!

This topic triggers me! THIS IS NOT SOUROIUND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (sorry)

Get a decent sound card (most mobos and games already do this, use decent headphones -> sound "feeling")

 

yes i understand that they are "virtual" not actually "true"

 

i am planning on using it with a laptop

[Metallus97]

1 minute ago, Oswin said:

yes i understand that they are "virtual" not actually "true"

 

i am planning on using it with a laptop

Its simply BS! Dont buy! wont help but make it worse... Most games already do sound procession when you tell them to do so. So no need for a fence sound card. OK the sound itself wont be nice form a laptop. But at this price of headset you wont notice. So get the one without and be done with it  

[Oswin]

Just now, Metallus97 said:

Its simply BS! Dont buy! wont help but make it worse... Most games already do sound procession when you tell them to do so. So no need for a fence sound card. OK the sound itself wont be nice form a laptop. But at this price of headset you wont notice. So get the one without and be done with it  

thank you for the info!

have a nice day

[Metallus97]

Just now, Oswin said:

thank you for the info!

have a nice day

No problem, you to!

[ShearMe]

Depending on your setup, the USB functionality could actually be an improvement. But as others have said, the virtual surround isn't necessarily desirable.

[Metallus97]

2 minutes ago, ShearMe said:

Depending on your setup, the USB functionality could actually be an improvement. But as others have said, the virtual surround isn't necessarily desirable.

And also the DAC/Amp inside the usb implementation there wont be much better than whats in his laptop 

[ShearMe]

Just now, Metallus97 said:

And also the DAC/Amp inside the usb implementation there wont be much better than whats in his laptop 

You never know though. Laptop could have some EMI or something else funkey going on. 

[Metallus97]

Just now, ShearMe said:

You never know though. Laptop could have some EMI or something else funkey going on. 

okkk I give you that but at this point the laptop itself will be pretty trash and not able to game much lol

[cesh me inside b0z]

Surround sucks, 2.0 or 2.1 is king for me.

[Metallus97]

35 minutes ago, F77 said:

Surround sucks, 2.0 or 2.1 is king for me.

When done right Surround is awesome!

but to do this you need a big room and $$$
 

 

btw. x.1 in headphones is even more bs than Suround

[cesh me inside b0z]

Just now, Metallus97 said:

When done right Surround is awesome!

but to do this you need a big room and $$$
 

 

btw. x.1 in headphones is even more bs than Suround

I meant speakers, but yes headphone, 2.0 only.

[Metallus97]

1 minute ago, F77 said:

I meant speakers, but yes headphone, 2.0 only.

But why?

ever listened to a decent atmos set?

that is NICE

[rice guru]

Virtual surround sou m messes with games I play that have already good virtual surround sound in game with the sound engines like COD MW 2019, hellblade, r6 Siege. But in games with awful awful sound engines  like fortnite I can see why people would like it as it sorta helps. But imo just getting a good headphone that has good imaging and soundstage is mostly enough depending on the games you play

[an actual squirrel]

@Metallus97 @rice guru

 

Okay everyone, this is probably the most misunderstood topic in all of gaming, leaving gpu motion blur as a distant second imo. Contrary to popular belief, virtual surround sound is actually a good thing. What we are talking about here is using hrtf filters on top of game sounds to represent their position in the game world. Without them, you only have left and right directions in stereo audio on headphones. You can still deduce other directions by performing certain maneuvers, but it is a competitive advantage to have virtual surround sound and let the sounds come with more directional information.

 

Certain games are now coming with virtual surround sound options inside them, allowing all headphone users to have virtual surround sound regardless of hardware/software. The most prominent are CSGO's advanced 3d processing, Overwatch's Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and PUBG's HRTF. Call of Duty Modern Warfare doesn't have virtual surround sound per se, but it works well with the ones built into the windows spatial sound options in windows 10 (which are not turned on by default btw).

 

Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite, and I would say the majority of games don't have virtual surround sound options. However, games do support surround sound output. That output has additional directional information that can be used with a virtual surround sound dsp, such as the one that comes with something like the sennheiser gsx 1000 or the free software called hesuvi, to create a better headphone mix.

 

Not helping matters is that virtual surround sound is something of an acquired taste. I'd liken it to 60 fps video and the soap opera effect. Intellectually, we all understand that 60 fps is more information than 24 fps. But if you watch a 60 fps movie, it looks really wrong because you have been conditioned to only accept 24 fps for movies. Similarly, if you have never listened to binaural audio on headphones, it can be strange with material that you are expecting to sound a certain way. If you go in naively, with no preconceptions, I think you can get used to it really fast.

[pas008]

On 1/14/2020 at 10:15 AM, an actual squirrel said:

@Metallus97 @rice guru

 

Okay everyone, this is probably the most misunderstood topic in all of gaming, leaving gpu motion blur as a distant second imo. Contrary to popular belief, virtual surround sound is actually a good thing. What we are talking about here is using hrtf filters on top of game sounds to represent their position in the game world. Without them, you only have left and right directions in stereo audio on headphones. You can still deduce other directions by performing certain maneuvers, but it is a competitive advantage to have virtual surround sound and let the sounds come with more directional information.

 

Certain games are now coming with virtual surround sound options inside them, allowing all headphone users to have virtual surround sound regardless of hardware/software. The most prominent are CSGO's advanced 3d processing, Overwatch's Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and PUBG's HRTF. Call of Duty Modern Warfare doesn't have virtual surround sound per se, but it works well with the ones built into the windows spatial sound options in windows 10 (which are not turned on by default btw).

 

Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite, and I would say the majority of games don't have virtual surround sound options. However, games do support surround sound output. That output has additional directional information that can be used with a virtual surround sound dsp, such as the one that comes with something like the sennheiser gsx 1000 or the free software called hesuvi, to create a better headphone mix.

 

Not helping matters is that virtual surround sound is something of an acquired taste. I'd liken it to 60 fps video and the soap opera effect. Intellectually, we all understand that 60 fps is more information than 24 fps. But if you watch a 60 fps movie, it looks really wrong because you have been conditioned to only accept 24 fps for movies. Similarly, if you have never listened to binaural audio on headphones, it can be strange with material that you are expecting to sound a certain way. If you go in naively, with no preconceptions, I think you can get used to it really fast.

i'm still dumb founded on why people dont understand this (audio engineer here too lol)

 

its funny

algorithms are used everywhere on digital sound

but cant be used for downmixing?

 

[VoidX]

On 1/14/2020 at 5:15 PM, an actual squirrel said:

@Metallus97 @rice guru

 

Okay everyone, this is probably the most misunderstood topic in all of gaming, leaving gpu motion blur as a distant second imo. Contrary to popular belief, virtual surround sound is actually a good thing. What we are talking about here is using hrtf filters on top of game sounds to represent their position in the game world. Without them, you only have left and right directions in stereo audio on headphones. You can still deduce other directions by performing certain maneuvers, but it is a competitive advantage to have virtual surround sound and let the sounds come with more directional information.

 

Certain games are now coming with virtual surround sound options inside them, allowing all headphone users to have virtual surround sound regardless of hardware/software. The most prominent are CSGO's advanced 3d processing, Overwatch's Dolby Atmos for Headphones, and PUBG's HRTF. Call of Duty Modern Warfare doesn't have virtual surround sound per se, but it works well with the ones built into the windows spatial sound options in windows 10 (which are not turned on by default btw).

 

Apex Legends, Rainbow Six Siege, Fortnite, and I would say the majority of games don't have virtual surround sound options. However, games do support surround sound output. That output has additional directional information that can be used with a virtual surround sound dsp, such as the one that comes with something like the sennheiser gsx 1000 or the free software called hesuvi, to create a better headphone mix.

 

Not helping matters is that virtual surround sound is something of an acquired taste. I'd liken it to 60 fps video and the soap opera effect. Intellectually, we all understand that 60 fps is more information than 24 fps. But if you watch a 60 fps movie, it looks really wrong because you have been conditioned to only accept 24 fps for movies. Similarly, if you have never listened to binaural audio on headphones, it can be strange with material that you are expecting to sound a certain way. If you go in naively, with no preconceptions, I think you can get used to it really fast.

(If we do this "audio engeneer here" things, I'll raise my hand too)

 

Most virtualizers are generalized, and are usually an average of multiple measurements on people of all races, ages, both male and female. Some stop here, some are at least flattened (like Atmos for Headphones). I still like these, but measuring my own head, even if it was done with the really ghetto way of taping a headset mic in my ear (something like this is actually used on the AKG N90Q, so don't laugh), made a huge difference. I even made a guide on how to do this at home, so you can stay on the headphones you like the most, with a virtualizer that's made for you.

[pas008]

18 hours ago, VoidX said:

(If we do this "audio engeneer here" things, I'll raise my hand too)

 

Most virtualizers are generalized, and are usually an average of multiple measurements on people of all races, ages, both male and female. Some stop here, some are at least flattened (like Atmos for Headphones). I still like these, but measuring my own head, even if it was done with the really ghetto way of taping a headset mic in my ear (something like this is actually used on the AKG N90Q, so don't laugh), made a huge difference. I even made a guide on how to do this at home, so you can stay on the headphones you like the most, with a virtualizer that's made for you.

sbx allowstweaking(slider in settings)for narrower or wider surround

which i love because some games only get better imho

 

i'm all about immersion for gaming also use nvidia surround for my monitors

if I didnt buy x7 i'd be all for hesuvi love that program

 

ill look into this guide of yours too

[VoidX]

23 hours ago, pas008 said:

sbx allowstweaking(slider in settings)for narrower or wider surround

which i love because some games only get better imho

 

i'm all about immersion for gaming also use nvidia surround for my monitors

if I didnt buy x7 i'd be all for hesuvi love that program

 

ill look into this guide of yours too

This narrow/wide surround was first done by Dolby back in the days where virtualization basically meant Dolby Virtual Headphone. It wasn't an actual HRTF, but room echo on the same principle, with 3 room sizes. It's integrated into nearly every dedicated sound card (like my Xonar DX), so this is the one you could most likely try the easiest.

[Mausy]

I do surround sound by using some older speakers and an old-ish surround receiver.  I hook up the reciever to my HDMI on my 2070 super and tell it to mirror my 'productivity' monitor, aka a simple 1080p monitor I bought for a second screen that runs on DP.

 

Get great 5.1 sound (I use an old sub) for around $150 +wire.