If you listen to 7.1 or 5.1 audio through stereo headphones do you lose anything

[ImRyan]

thanks for your help

[Ukaros]

are we talking about games or movies?

[Electronics Wizardy]

depends on how you do it.

 

You can just play left and right, but that sounds bad

 

You normally need software to convert the 5.1 to stereo.

 

But normally there is also a stern track that is used instead.

[EsaT]

For just music it's easy to downmix it to two channels keeping all that... well, sound.

 

For movies and especially games you don't want that simple "flattening/squishing" to stereo in case of headphones.

At least for actually good heaphones not messing with signal.

Because assuming your head shape and size is close to average it's possible to maintain good sense of directionality and even distance, where that say enemy is firing gun in game.