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Gaming Headphones Guide & Discussion.


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made this thread to do all the discussion abt gaming headphones...Posted some guides too...Please Discuss all gaming headphones related queries here.

 

 

Gaming Headphones Guide /Discussion

 

Surround Sound Headphones Explained

Virtual vs. true surround? We give you a rundown of how each works.

 

When assembling a proper home theater -- whether it be for enjoying Blu-ray movies, HD television, or gaming -- a good, solid HDTV is usually the first step. But for the true cinephile, TV enthusiast, or hardcore gamer, no theater setup is complete without a quality surround sound system.

 

The problem is that quality components are often expensive and can take up a lot of space. Surround sound headphones can be a solid alternative, as they are comparably less taxing to both the wallet and your floorspace.

 

But in the realm of surround sound headphones for either media viewing or gaming, there is a fundamental divide between two prevailing concepts: 'true' surround sound and virtual surround sound.

 

What's the difference? IGN explains...

 

 

How Surround Sound Headphones Work

Because the sound generated from stereo headphones originates near the ears and not from the television set, the audio can have an unusual, detached quality. To many listeners, there is a slight separation between the actions on screen and the sound entering the ear canal. This is one of the fundamental problems that surround sound headphones attempt to remedy. True surround sound headphones feature multiple speakers broadcasting at different angles, while virtual surround sound relies on two speakers that use complex sound processing to simulate the effect of multiple directional channel.

 

A standard surround sound setup.

True surround sound headphones follow the same basic philosophy as surround sound speakers; they use several discrete speakers placed in each headphone cup that handle different channels of sound. Early models offered quadrophonic sound (4 channels), but virtually all modern models offer the now familiar 5.1 or 7.1 surround audio. These headphones effectively counter the problem of unnatural, detached sound. With sound entering the ear canal from multiple angles, the audio no longer appears to be originating directly in the head as it does with standard headphones.

 

Virtual surround sound strives for the same effect through artificial means. With virtual surround, headphones have only two distinct speakers – one for each ear – as most standard headphones do. Instead, these models rely on either internal or external pre-amps or mix-amps to translate normal stereo or surround sound signals into surround sound. These amps rely on algorithms to divide signals into separate, smaller segments. Though the sound enters the ear from one of two speakers, it is altered in such a way that, theoretically at least, it appears to be emanating from many more sources.

 

Many companies have their own methods and algorithms for achieving virtual surround sound. On a basic level, what these headphones accomplish is to redirect sound emanating from the headphone speaker so that, instead of moving directly into the ear canal, it hits the outer edges of the ear and rolls in over a period of time. Like true surround sound, these sound waves appear to be coming from multiple angles, avoiding the sensation that the sound is being generated directly within the viewer's head.

 

Advantages and Disadvantages

Naturally, there are advantages and disadvantages to both types of surround sound headphones. In theory, true surround sound headphones will offer a more accurate surround experience given the dedicated drivers for each channel. This is especially useful for gamers, particularly in multiplayer games like Halo or Call of Duty where proper sound placement can mean the difference between killing or being killed.

 

However, true surround sound headphones have their disadvantages too. Because true surround sound headphones utilize multiple drivers and surround sound processing while simultaneously trying to maintain a reasonable cost point for consumers, the build quality can be inferior to virtual surround sound headphones.

 

 

Astro's A30s Virtual Surround Sound Headphones

 

Tritton's AX Pro True Surround Sound Headphones

Furthermore, since the speakers in virtual surround sound headphones are larger, they're often capable of producing more powerful and dynamic sound.

 

Virtual surround sound headphones can sometimes have the benefit of cost. As mentioned, it's usually the mix-amp or preamp that does the heavy lifting, the emphasis on higher-end driver components for higher-fidelity audio is lessened. Similarly, users who already own a decent pair of headphones may be able to save money by purchasing the amp separately and bypassing the cost of new headphones. Companies like Astro, which manufacturers the Astro A30 and A40 headphones and mix-amp, do sell their amp separately for a lower price, though a surround sound-certified pair of headphones is recommended to achieve an optimal experience.

 

Ultimately, both forms of surround sound headphone technologies have a hard time living up to the ideal audible fidelity provided by a physical surround sound setup. While multiple drivers in the earcup or advanced processors can replicate the experience of surround sound, they cannot fully recreate the sense of physical distance nor the wide range of tones created by larger speakers.

 

But, of course, realistic concessions must be made for the sake of privacy, cost-efficiency, or saving space. Full 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound systems simply are not viable solutions for many situations or certain listeners, and to that end surround sound headphones can prove to be a worthy alternative. And as technology continues to grow and expand, the audible gaps between multi-channel surround sound systems and headphones will continue to shrink.

 

link

 

 

Popular ones:-

 

1) Tritton Ax- 720

2) Tritton Ax pro

3) Astro- A 40

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Just got a Sennheiser HD 598. Its mainly for music, but seems great for gaming as well (although I still prefer the proper 5.1 set up for that). So unless gaming is the only activity you intend with the pair, it would be better to check out some of the 2ch headphones as well since they are great for listening to music and virtual surround does the job pretty well.

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I got Audio Technica M50 :majesty:

 

most friggin amazing Headphones you will ever use

 

Depends on whether you prefer closed or open cans. And if you can stretch your budget the A900 would be better than the M50.

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Just got a Sennheiser HD 598. Its mainly for music, but seems great for gaming as well (although I still prefer the proper 5.1 set up for that). So unless gaming is the only activity you intend with the pair, it would be better to check out some of the 2ch headphones as well since they are great for listening to music and virtual surround does the job pretty well.

was asking about gaming purpose only...i know sennheisers are great...heaving checked out few of them myself...my dil goes hmmmmmmm for it :giggle:....but then they are still not exactly for gaming purpose and will not satisfy gaming experience.

 

And if someone could help me calibrate Tritton Ax Pros

how is it? any idea how it is compared to tritton ax 720

 

I have Tritton Ax 720 pro and its aweosome !! Just a gripe that its not wirless but the headphone wires are pretty long.

 

Sound quality , build is awesome . Its a bit bulky but love it !

how much did u got it for?? and are there any wirless headset that performs like Ax 720.

 

also ax pro gives u true surround sound while ax 720 gives virtual ,right??

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but then they are still not exactly for gaming purpose and will not satisfy gaming experience.

 

 

I have to disagree on that. I don't have a surround headset, but I compared it to my 5.1 setup it was pretty good. Virtualization in headphones are far better than most people think.

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I have to disagree on that. I don't have a surround headset, but I compared it to my 5.1 setup it was pretty good. Virtualization in headphones are far better than most people think.

 

okay. did u use it with pc or ps3??...coz dont think you can connect with ps3 without some sort of connector .

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yes u r right but whichh headphone do you have

i dont have any right now.

 

Those headphones Ax pro are pure tits. If I only could get someone to give me calibration settings, they would be like ultra pure tits :|

okay.Nice.... is the performance over ax 720 big enough to justify the extra cost.??

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okay. did u use it with pc or ps3??...coz dont think you can connect with ps3 without some sort of connector .

 

PC. I guess it can be connected to the consoles, but never bothered to since I was just testing it out.

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