7.1 Virtual Surround or Stereo Headset?

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Arokas

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Feb 11, 2014
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Hey everyone,
I'm trying to decide if it is worth getting a new headset.

I'm currently using a pair of Sennheiser HD598s - http://www.amazon.com/Sennheiser-HD-598-Over-Ear-Headphones/dp/B0042A8CW2

I'm looking at getting a HyperX Cloud II headset - http://www.hyperxgaming.com/us/cloud/hscp

The main reason I'm looking at getting this headset is for Counter Strike: Global Offensive. I wonder if this headset will allow me to better hear where enemies are coming from?

Basically, will 7.1 virtual surround allow me to pinpoint movement sounds better then stereo sound?
 
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photonboy
Hey,
My main point is that the audio can be optimized for GAMING for quality gaming headphones. I'll let the reviews explain that..

It's important to review this headphone specifically and not compare to all 7.1 solutions. These are STEREO headphones with an addon USB feature to support a virtual surround option (and volume). You can use it or not. Maybe in some games you care more about footsteps and this feature helps.

I'm guessing you also want a MICROPHONE as well?

The 3.5mm jack plugs into the USB control cable which in turn plugs into the computer. That means its a DIGITAL signal into the USB which means there is a sound card to convert digital to analog in that cable.

(USB also means some isolation from the computer's analog...
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Arokas

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Feb 11, 2014
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Hi photon, that's good to know, thanks!

I currently run my PC audio to an external amp (that my tower speakers are connected to) and plug my headphones in to that.

Any idea if doing the same with the HyperX will mess around with the virtual surround at all? Am I better off plugging them straight into my PC?

EDIT: Nevermind, I just realised that won't work regardless, as the adapter plugs into the controller then connects to the computer via USB.
 
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basroil

basroil

Glorious
Oct 19, 2013
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No, virtual 7.1 audio will NOT be better than the same function your sound card has (headphone virtualization) and will be WORSE than a proper headphone mode like that in BF4/Battlefront. Don't listen to nonsense about 7.1 being better for games because it's not. Your HD598s are MUCH better than the cheap cloud IIs. If you have money to burn, get a better sound card
 
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Arokas

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Feb 11, 2014
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And herein lies the problem. I can't find a definitive source one way or the other. Some people say its a gimmick, others say it's a must have for gaming.
 
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basroil

basroil

Glorious
Oct 19, 2013
8,698
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Here's the biomechanical and systems engineering answer (and thus the right one), 7.1 audio for headphones is a gimmick. You have two ears, and headphones can only drive them independently. Doesn't matter how many speakers you have in a headphone, you are limited to two independent output channels. What makes things worse is that in the case of 7.1 on headphones, you are mixing point audio sources first into 7.1 using what amount to virtual microphones, and then your headphones take that 7.1 and turn it back into 2.0, by again warping the sound from seven independent sources into what are two virtual mics. So that's two approximations done, which means that much data gets lost. By letting your game do it (most have headphone mode, and good ones like BF4 have multiple ones) in engine, you get one transfer from point audio sources directly to your headphones. Good engines throw in fancy things like binaural approximations using sound shadowing your head would normally have, lesser ones like cs:go do straight latency+volume conversion.

In the end, it depends on how good your game is at headphone mixing, but in most cases it's better to NOT use "7.1" sets!
 
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photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
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Hey,
My main point is that the audio can be optimized for GAMING for quality gaming headphones. I'll let the reviews explain that..

It's important to review this headphone specifically and not compare to all 7.1 solutions. These are STEREO headphones with an addon USB feature to support a virtual surround option (and volume). You can use it or not. Maybe in some games you care more about footsteps and this feature helps.

I'm guessing you also want a MICROPHONE as well?

The 3.5mm jack plugs into the USB control cable which in turn plugs into the computer. That means its a DIGITAL signal into the USB which means there is a sound card to convert digital to analog in that cable.

(USB also means some isolation from the computer's analog noise which may mean less "hiss" or other issues. Digital data is the same. It's only when converted to analog that we can get distortion from the rest of the computer.)

Other:
7.1 a gimmick?
First, you do NOT have to use this. (but I agree 7.1 isn't necessarily any good, and often worse)
There are two, physical drivers only. The 7.1 is optional, so this is NOT like other headphones that use multiple drivers.

Video (Jayz2cents): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiIwNJuVmoU

http://gaming-headsets-review.toptenreviews.com/kingston-hyperx-review.html

http://www.trustedreviews.com/kingston-hyperx-cloud-ii-review

"Although the Kingston HyperX Cloud II only costs £75, you’d be hard pressed to find a better-sounding wired headset at any price. The stereo sound is powerful and detailed, with the 53mm drivers providing plenty of punch in the low-end, while also being sprightly at the high-end. The headset is most suited to video games, but it’s impressive in movies and music too."

*The extra audio processing to isolate certain sounds is optional:
"However, Kingston’s version sounds just as good, providing an accurate approximation of where things like bullets, footsteps and grenades are coming from. We personally didn’t use this feature after our review period, preferring the clarity and overall quality of the stereo output, but the option is there if you want it, and it’s as good as any other surround sound technology on the market."

Summary:
Again, these are quality, STEREO headphones with optional optimizations for gaming. They can be used without the USB attachment as stereo headphones like normal.
 
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X

xeonox

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Dec 15, 2007
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weather 2 true channel stereo is better than 5.1 / 7.1 virtual surround sound (or not) is really debatable. Although new virtual sound technology/advancement is getting better. Keep in mind that its "virtual" or as i like to say...its all SOFTWARE based. this means you can turn your Sennheiser HD598s to do the same exact thing with the correct software and a little bit of time to tune it. For the pc gaming you could use your HD598s and downloaded
Razor's surround sound software from https://www.razerzone.com/surround ...dolby digital also has software that you can make "virtual" 5.1 or 7.1and use Dolby Atmos sound using their software or can can even eq it using the dolby home theater software. i couldnt find the quick link for that but if you google it you can find it, here is a theater version https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/dolby-laboratories *** note that as the time of this writing
dolby has 3 software...the theater...the dolby atmos...and i cant remeber the 3rd but there is a third software for the pc.

long story short, remember anything virtual is all software, you have a very good pair of Sennheiser headphones that i would use and just download the software.
 
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photonboy

photonboy

Titan
Jun 20, 2006
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2016... almost two years ago.

Also, I don't quite understand your logic. It's not really "debatable" for this product I discussed when they are STEREO headphones with a virtualization addon for surround.

You have one OR THE OTHER at any given time depending on what you are doing. Maybe the addon for games and bypass (sometimes with a simple button) for stereo with no added processing.
 
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