New 7.1 headset

[felix malmberg]

Im looking for a new headset with 7.1.

 

I really need the 7.1 surround sound for my games. 

Why is the 7.1 important? I need it for listening to where enemies are for example in CS GO.

I like sound quality, yes but that's why i have high quality speakers instead.

 

Max budget is around 200€ 

Been looking at Corsair vengeance 2100 and Logitech g930

Needs to be wireless too. 

I currently own the g35 but they are getting pretty worn and the sound is not great.

 

I know all "gaming" headsets only have 2 speakers and they use virtual surround like Dolby digital surround. 

But now i'm curious about the positional audio/surround sound you will get from headphones that don't support software surround.

 

NamelessPFG from http://www.head-fi.org/t/626034/stereo-vs-virtual-surround-for-gaming  said:

 

The problem is that games treat "stereo" as completely one-dimensional. Left/right panning is ALL you get. You have no distinction of front and rear, or high and low. Worse off, sounds tend to seem kind of congested together off to the left and right.

 

Virtual 5.1/7.1 is a great improvement, and a true 3D binaural HRTF mix (usually only had in PC games that use DirectSound3D and/or OpenAL) even better still. It's suddenly like having an aural wallhack in the best of cases, where you can point your finger in a direction with total confidence that's where the sound came from and even follow it around the environment through walls and anything else that obscures your view.

 

However, the technologies generally used for virtual surround employ only one non-customizable HRTF, meant to work with the average of human heads. It works with most of the population, but there's a small chance that your own HRTF differs too much for the positional cues to work properly.

Edited December 29, 2013 by felix malmberg

[SparkySamZa]

well you said nothing about needing a mic so why buy a headset. standalone mics are so much better, i can understand the 7.1 surround though

[Guest GRRigger]

By the way, YOU NEED 7.1 OMG111ONEONE!1!1OnE!!1! . But the headphones you listed have only 2 drivers each, its only virtual surround. You cant surpass AD700 in terms of surround positioning. Then just buy sound card that is capable of delivering surround.

[sonarctica]

Steelseries Siberia Elite, not wireless..

[squirrl]

 Just so you know, they don't actually have 7.1 speakers in them. it's all software driven so you can get exactly the same 7.1 "emulation effect" from normal stereo headphones if the game has support, or through alternative software like razer surround. I have tried it myself (have a vengeance 2000 headset)  and the 7.1 is horrible sounding compared with normal stereo (it splits up the stereo channel), so i haven't enabled it since i got it. 

[QcDExtreme]

i know the Sennhieser pc363d are 7.1 but they are a little bit over your budget iif you would like a link here's a amazon link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008O515CK

[chicksoup]

normal high-end headphones....try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA wear your cheapest headphones while listening to this

 

hd 558 or beyerdynamic custom one pros or dt770

[felix malmberg]

Thanks for the quick responses! I've been looking at the Siberia Elites but i heard they will be releasing a wireless version of them soon. 

[felix malmberg]

i know the Sennhieser pc363d are 7.1 but they are a little bit over your budget iif you would like a link here's a amazon link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008O515CK

Yeah they are a bit pricey.

[felix malmberg]

normal high-end headphones....try this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUDTlvagjJA wear your cheapest headphones while listening to this

 

hd 558 or beyerdynamic custom one pros or dt770

Yeah i know that video. It's pretty cool but can you get the same 7.1 surround with headphones that do not have support for Dolby digital surround?

[TheProfosist]

I would get normal headphones and a soundcard that can do the 7.1 or 5.1 like creative's z series

[chicksoup]

Yeah i know that video. It's pretty cool but can you get the same 7.1 surround with headphones that do not have support for Dolby digital surround?

I have headphones that cost 40€ and I can hear everything absolutely fine if you're interested watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0&feature=c4-overview&list=UUNovoA9w0KnxyDP5bGrOYzg

[M-ursu]

There is no such thing as 7.1 in headphones, i have Asus Vulcan pro, headset which is "7.1", but it only have two speakers like every headphone on the market.

[felix malmberg]

I have headphones that cost 40€ and I can hear everything absolutely fine if you're interested watch this: 

I've actually seen that video but i was wondering if the positional audio would be as well with headphones that don't support virtual surround. as with headphones that do. 

[chicksoup]

I've actually seen that video but i was wondering if the positional audio would be as well with headphones that don't support virtual surround. as with headphones that do.

headphones use an anolog signal which transmits all the information( space, direction and so on) with usb headsets I believe it is sent to the headset digitally and software decodes it and changes it into a analog signal

[felix malmberg]

I know that all the 7.1 gaming headsets only have 2 speakers. But what i think you're all saying is that I'll get just as good positional audio with headphones that don't support 7.1 software as I will with for example g930 with Dolby digital surround?

Excuse my English but i hope you understand what I mean.

[Aphexx]

I've got the corsair 2000. I've tried my share of virtual surround virtualizers EAX dts SRS dolby headphone and RaZr surround and I can honestly say I hate all of them. all they do is add reverb an echo effect to make is sound like you are in a bigger room. a hollow big room.example play something on your speakers and cup your ears notice how it changes how it sounds thats pretty well all virtualizers do. yippeee. does it help me in game to hear the directionality of footsteps? FUCK NO. 

 

out of all the headphones I have the corsair is the worst in positionality it has a very closed in and vague characteristic to it that makes hearing what direction a sound is coming from very confusing even with or without the dolby headphone garbage AKA the 7.1 garbage. 

 

the best headphone I have for getting footstep positioning is my ath ad700. it is pretty unfair how much of an advantage it is with them on and guess what I don't turn on any 7.1 garbage and just leave it with the base sound from the game. the dt770 comes in as a close but far behind second for headphones that I own for FPS games it does well for a closed back isolating headphone. 

[chicksoup]

I know that all the 7.1 gaming headsets only have 2 speakers. But what i think you're all saying is that I'll get just as good positional audio with headphones that don't support 7.1 software as I will with for example g930 with Dolby digital surround?

Excuse my English but i hope you understand what I mean.

I don't think you'd notice a difference between a 7.1 headset and a stereo one 

[felix malmberg]

I've got the corsair 2000. I've tried my share of virtual surround virtualizers EAX dts SRS dolby headphone and RaZr surround and I can honestly say I hate all of them. all they do is add reverb an echo effect to make is sound like you are in a bigger room. a hollow big room.example play something on your speakers and cup your ears notice how it changes how it sounds thats pretty well all virtualizers do. yippeee. does it help me in game to hear the directionality of footsteps? FUCK NO. 

 

out of all the headphones I have the corsair is the worst in positionality it has a very closed in and vague characteristic to it that makes hearing what direction a sound is coming from very confusing even with or without the dolby headphone garbage AKA the 7.1 garbage. 

 

the best headphone I have for getting footstep positioning is my ath ad700. it is pretty unfair how much of an advantage it is with them on and guess what I don't turn on any 7.1 garbage and just leave it with the base sound from the game. the dt770 comes in as a close but far behind second for headphones that I own for FPS games it does well for a closed back isolating headphone. 

Yeah I see your point. Thanks for the reply. I still can't decide because for myself the DGS on the logitech g35 just kind of works I guess? Because i can easily hear from where enemies are coming. Although i can agree that the sound quality is a bit worse with the 7.1 turned on.

[BlackMirror]

If you want the best spotting,soundstage and positional awareness go with the AD700x,but you should probably only choose them for gaming ,not for music.

 You might as well look at the DT 990's they are kind of at the second place.They are perfect for listening to music AND competetive gaming.

[ManOfDisguise]

Stereo is just fine. I use a SS Siberia V2 headset which is stereo and I play only CSGO and I can hear footsteps just fine I can exactly pinpoint where they are.

[TheProfosist]

If you do want virtual surround sound my suggestion is to get a Creative Z series card and a pair of analog headphones. The reason I say this is that creative has by far the best virtual surround. Instead of doing what must do which is make stereo to virtual surround the card accepts 5.1 from windows, the game, or whatever else then downsamples it stereo with virtual surround. This is better because its not creating fake surround its getting actual surround then modifying it to reproduce properly on only two speakers.

[Vague]

I've actually seen that video but i was wondering if the positional audio would be as well with headphones that don't support virtual surround. as with headphones that do. 

Virtual surround sucks, most games have it build in and if you want positional audio just get a pair of open headphones. 

[TheProfosist]

Virtual surround sucks, most games have it build in and if you want positional audio just get a pair of open headphones.

This is true but newer games use surround to make this happen not stereo since its easier. Also how will open headphones make anything more or less positional?