Recommended 7.1 surround sound gaming headphones?

[carlos9759]

I been looking at the hyper x revolver s. But i seen comments online about some other headphones better than those i stated, and others saying you can mimick the "surround" with standard stereo headphones with other softwares........any suggestions?

[voiha]

https://www.amazon.com/ASUS-STRIX-7-1-Gaming-Headset/dp/B00VMY069S

[ZeouLs]

https://www.amazon.com/ASTRO-Gaming-A50-Wireless-Dolby-Headset/dp/B01G3WBIJ0/ref=sr_1_2?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1535010255&sr=1-2&keywords=astro%2B7.1&th=1

[EsaT]

44 minutes ago, carlos9759 said:

I been looking at the hyper x revolver s. But i seen comments online about some other headphones better than those i stated, and others saying you can mimick the "surround" with standard stereo headphones with other softwares........any suggestions?

If not actually needing microphone then you should just look at headphones.

No one attaches that mic there freely, but its away from other areas.

And gaming brands already have big fat profit margins with prices often bloated to range of headphones from actual audio makers.

Kingston HyperXes (+QPADs) are one of few gaming headsets made by honestly trying OEM.

But certainly wouldn't be paying Revolver S level prices.

 

Basically the bigger the marketing hype the worser the product for price.

Because what ever of selling price wasn't carried to bank laughing their ass off, was spent on legalized lying called marketing.

Asus Strix, Razer, Steelseries... all among the worst in frequency response:

https://uk.hardware.info/reviews/6080/17/13-headsets-review-listen-in-higher-quality-testresults---frequency-response

 

 

And anything with more than driver per ear is marketroid's BS.

Only thing it means is even cheaper and worser trinket drivers and certainly nothing tuned to produce proper sound.

(just like in speakers driver and casing has to be tuned to produce good sound)

 

We hear in 3D because head and outer ears cause direction dependant changes to signal received by both ears from sound source.

Those binaural cues can be simulated mathematically (for 5.1/7.1 source) and most sound card's have had that feature for decade.

If headphones are actually accurate besides directionality you'll get even feel of distance.

Assuming your head shape is close enough to average: Different head shape has different binaural cues.

 

Bad gaming trinkets just collapse that immersion to "head in bucket underwater" level.

Unlike forgives almost anything stereo music, binaural sound is very demanding for accuracy of headphones and even treble smoothing "music enjoyment" tuning hurts.

(and closed design challenge even for actual audio makers)

 

 

So what kind budget you were thinking/where you live?

There's pricing differences between for example EU and NA.

 

Do you actually need microphone?

(though ModMic turns any headphone to headset)

 

Do you have noisy or quiet environment?

While open headphones lack isolation of external noise, they also isolate less heat, which is good for comfort.

[voiha]

@EsaT Actually I'm really interested in what you recommend for a good quality over ear headphones. Currently I have Asus Strix 2.0 but I'm looking forward for better headphones

[carlos9759]

6 hours ago, EsaT said:

If not actually needing microphone then you should just look at headphones.

No one attaches that mic there freely, but its away from other areas.

And gaming brands already have big fat profit margins with prices often bloated to range of headphones from actual audio makers.

Kingston HyperXes (+QPADs) are one of few gaming headsets made by honestly trying OEM.

But certainly wouldn't be paying Revolver S level prices.

 

Basically the bigger the marketing hype the worser the product for price.

Because what ever of selling price wasn't carried to bank laughing their ass off, was spent on legalized lying called marketing.

Asus Strix, Razer, Steelseries... all among the worst in frequency response:

https://uk.hardware.info/reviews/6080/17/13-headsets-review-listen-in-higher-quality-testresults---frequency-response

 

 

And anything with more than driver per ear is marketroid's BS.

Only thing it means is even cheaper and worser trinket drivers and certainly nothing tuned to produce proper sound.

(just like in speakers driver and casing has to be tuned to produce good sound)

 

We hear in 3D because head and outer ears cause direction dependant changes to signal received by both ears from sound source.

Those binaural cues can be simulated mathematically (for 5.1/7.1 source) and most sound card's have had that feature for decade.

If headphones are actually accurate besides directionality you'll get even feel of distance.

Assuming your head shape is close enough to average: Different head shape has different binaural cues.

 

Bad gaming trinkets just collapse that immersion to "head in bucket underwater" level.

Unlike forgives almost anything stereo music, binaural sound is very demanding for accuracy of headphones and even treble smoothing "music enjoyment" tuning hurts.

(and closed design challenge even for actual audio makers)

 

 

So what kind budget you were thinking/where you live?

There's pricing differences between for example EU and NA.

 

Do you actually need microphone?

(though ModMic turns any headphone to headset)

 

Do you have noisy or quiet environment?

While open headphones lack isolation of external noise, they also isolate less heat, which is good for comfort.

I got m50xs from audio technica. Is there any way to have that "surround" sound? I really just want them to pinpoint enemies and hear their footsteps on PUBG. Thats really my only thing why i want to purchase of pair of gaming 7.1 headsets. And i to talk to my teammates, ill just buy a mod mic 

[EsaT]

Windows 10 has Microsoft's "Windows Sonic for Headphone", but from couple Youtube videos it's really mediocre.

Creative's sound cards have lot better algorithm, including budget level Audigy Fx.

 

But question is gaming ability of those headphones.

ATH-M50x is apparently rather mediocre for binaural sound, being standard bass heavy closed headphone.

Something not cared by stereo content like music.

But binaural cues demand accurate sound and closed design is challenge for that compared to open headphones.

And if signal isn't reproduced accurately enough brain can't position sounds properly/at all.

 

Signal which with accurate "cans" gives good directionality and real feeling sense of distance collapses to "head in bucket underwater" sound with bad enough cans.

First minute of this is excellent quick test for headphones, with gunshots at different directions and distances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_20T8x_OI

Accuracy of headphones really makes it or breaks it for binaural sound.

Open design ATH-AD700 would have been at top level for binaural sound with AKG K701/K702, though really bass light.

(there are  some open headphones with more fun bass impact and still good details)
 

 

Also for best immersion binaural cues depend on listener's head shape to be close enough to average.

But until Creative finalizes and releases products with head and ear shape customizable HRTF algorithm, were're stuck to using average head model.

PC game sounds are really two decades behind advance of graphics, with killing of DirectSound after Windows XP just pushing them backwards...

[carlos9759]

51 minutes ago, EsaT said:

Windows 10 has Microsoft's "Windows Sonic for Headphone", but from couple Youtube videos it's really mediocre.

Creative's sound cards have lot better algorithm, including budget level Audigy Fx.

 

But question is gaming ability of those headphones.

ATH-M50x is apparently rather mediocre for binaural sound, being standard bass heavy closed headphone.

Something not cared by stereo content like music.

But binaural cues demand accurate sound and closed design is challenge for that compared to open headphones.

And if signal isn't reproduced accurately enough brain can't position sounds properly/at all.

 

Signal which with accurate "cans" gives good directionality and real feeling sense of distance collapses to "head in bucket underwater" sound with bad enough cans.

First minute of this is excellent quick test for headphones, with gunshots at different directions and distances:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1_20T8x_OI

Accuracy of headphones really makes it or breaks it for binaural sound.

Open design ATH-AD700 would have been at top level for binaural sound with AKG K701/K702, though really bass light.

(there are  some open headphones with more fun bass impact and still good details)
 

 

Also for best immersion binaural cues depend on listener's head shape to be close enough to average.

But until Creative finalizes and releases products with head and ear shape customizable HRTF algorithm, were're stuck to using average head model.

PC game sounds are really two decades behind advance of graphics, with killing of DirectSound after Windows XP just pushing them backwards...

Very imformative. Thank you sir/ma'am, ur info is truly much appreciated. Since i have a gaming laptop, im currently looking at portable 7.1 soundcards and i will loook up videos and reviews about them. Same thing for the open back headphones that are really good at accurate binaural sounds. The combo that will fit my budget

[EsaT]

1 hour ago, carlos9759 said:

Since i have a gaming laptop, im currently looking at portable 7.1 soundcards and i will loook up videos and reviews about them. Same thing for the open back headphones that are really good at accurate binaural sounds. The combo that will fit my budget

There aren't that much choises in external sound cards with most of Creatives being older basic models hardware wise.

Though Sennheiser sells worser than Audigy Fx hardware at luxury price in their gaming hype GSX.

(making Sound BlasterX G5 feel underpriced)

 

If laptop's integrated sound card has good sound Creative actually sells their software package:

http://software.store.creative.com/p/software/sound-blaster-x-fi-mb3

It works by setting itself as "virtual" sound card taking 5.1/7.1 input from game, processing it and sending it to physical sound card for outputting it.

Just like Razer's software.

Which is another really mediocre one sounding more like standard downmix of 7.1 to stereo, with some fancy equalizer added.

 

You haven't yet told what kind budget you were thinking.

(and do you live in Europe or NA?)

[EsaT]

7 hours ago, voiha said:

@EsaT Actually I'm really interested in what you recommend for a good quality over ear headphones. Currently I have Asus Strix 2.0 but I'm looking forward for better headphones

What kind budget you were thinking?

Do you have noise or quiet environment?

And do you prefer to have maximal details at expense of  "shy" bass, or want more balanced sound with good bass impact for more fun gaming?

 

As you're living in EU there's plenty of choise even if you don't have much selection locally.

Something like 110€ gives some very good choises.

 

[carlos9759]

1 hour ago, EsaT said:

There aren't that much choises in external sound cards with most of Creatives being older basic models hardware wise.

Though Sennheiser sells worser than Audigy Fx hardware at luxury price in their gaming hype GSX.

(making Sound BlasterX G5 feel underpriced)

 

If laptop's integrated sound card has good sound Creative actually sells their software package:

http://software.store.creative.com/p/software/sound-blaster-x-fi-mb3

It works by setting itself as "virtual" sound card taking 5.1/7.1 input from game, processing it and sending it to physical sound card for outputting it.

Just like Razer's software.

Which is another really mediocre one sounding more like standard downmix of 7.1 to stereo, with some fancy equalizer added.

 

You haven't yet told what kind budget you were thinking.

(and do you live in Europe or NA?)

I live in the US, and budget would be somwhere around the $150 to $200 range

[voiha]

9 hours ago, EsaT said:

What kind budget you were thinking?

Do you have noise or quiet environment?

And do you prefer to have maximal details at expense of  "shy" bass, or want more balanced sound with good bass impact for more fun gaming?

 

As you're living in EU there's plenty of choise even if you don't have much selection locally.

Something like 110€ gives some very good choises.

 

I can potentionally spend around 150 euros as I would like to upgrade my current headsets which are not bad but they lack the punchiness that I fancy. I was thinking about, does a headphone amplifier works and unlocks the full capacity of the headphones as they are made from 60 mm neodymium-magnet drivers which is not bad ?

 

As of my environment is rather quiet as I use them primarily at home.

[EsaT]

1 hour ago, voiha said:

I can potentionally spend around 150 euros as I would like to upgrade my current headsets which are not bad but they lack the punchiness that I fancy. I was thinking about, does a headphone amplifier works and unlocks the full capacity of the headphones as they are made from 60 mm neodymium-magnet drivers which is not bad ?

 

As of my environment is rather quiet as I use them primarily at home.

Size of driver doesn't matter if quality is crap.

Also just like in speakers driver and its casing must be tuned to work together to reproduce accurate sound.

Something you can neither expect from gaming trinkets.

(for example AKG and Beyerdynamic use commonly 45mm drivers)

 

I've myself had chance to test Turd Beach Z60 using that 60mm of BS in advertising.

30€ Superlux HD-330 with 40mm driver makes them sound like "head in bucket underwater" garbage smashing them 6+ to 1.

Didn't even know there could be that bad sound before trying those gaming turds:

Only thing they do is strong lowest rumbling bass of closed design.

Directionality is so and so and there's zero sense of distance. Everything sounds like coming from next to ear and some sounds are just more muffled and indistinct than others.

 

First minute of this is excellent quick test for gaming capability of headphones:

If your head shape is close enough to average and headphones are accurate there's good directionality and clear feel of distances.

(for head and ear shape customizable HRTF we have to wait for Creative's Super X-fi tech using products)

[voiha]

@EsaT So AKG are the ones I should aim at ?

[EsaT]

1 hour ago, voiha said:

@EsaT So AKG are the ones I should aim at ?

AKG K702 is at top level in details for competitive gaming, but has neutral bass, so "fun factor" isn't that great.

 

If you want some fun bass impact Beyerdynamic DT990 has it, without bothering details too heavily like strong bass does easily in closed designs.

Its studio use meant Pro version is available for very good price.

Beyer also sells all parts as spare parts if something wears, so those can be kept going for long.

K712 is AKG's vision of more fun bass, but has doubled price.

 

When not listening anything you'll hear environment's sounds basically normally through them.