Are You Using Surround Speakers for PC Gaming?

[Random Guy Esq.]

Hi. Just wondering if those of you who are using 5.1 or 7.1 speaker set-ups for PC gaming would like to share your "build" and your experiences? I'm thinking about going this route as I've just never liked wearing headphones for prolonged periods (> 1 hr).

So please share your thoughts and experiences!

Edit: Ooooh satanic post. Y'all HAVE to answer now.

 

[hornetstinger]

yup use a avr, with 5.1 for gaming. Sounds great, but went back to stereo removed the center, rears and sub as too many speakers in the room as it is.

 

[EsaT]

Are you using closed headphones and ears start sweating?
Open headphones with velour pads don't cause that, never had problems with wearing them for even 10h per day.
While I have plenty of experience with sweating causing earmuffs.

yup use a avr, with 5.1 for gaming. Sounds great, but went back to stereo removed the center, rears and sub as too many speakers in the room as it is.

Good surround set definitely sounds great.
But positioning them and room acoustics can be major problem.
Usual environment of PC just isn't good in that.

 

[hornetstinger]

was pretty fun using the main system for fps games, with this sub
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJON9E60UHk

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

yup use a avr, with 5.1 for gaming. Sounds great, but went back to stereo removed the center, rears and sub as too many speakers in the room as it is.

Cool, what speakers were you using?

Are you using closed headphones and ears start sweating?
Open headphones with velour pads don't cause that, never had problems with wearing them for even 10h per day.
While I have plenty of experience with sweating causing earmuffs.

No, I've open-backed cans. The problem is twofold; I've a huge noggin which makes any headphones uncomfortable after a few hours, and I've never been blown away by any virtual surround solution I've listened to (and I've listened to a few recently). I blame my ears this time.

Good surround set definitely sounds great.
But positioning them and room acoustics can be major problem.
Usual environment of PC just isn't good in that.

This would be my major concern. My PC is in a bedroom about 4m x 4m, but my desk is facing one of the walls, right up against it. It's fairly central along the wall, but I'm not having much luck finding speaker layouts from people with similar set-ups. The only ones I've really seen are for actual 5.1 PC speaker systems, which I'm not really a fan of.

 

[hornetstinger]

Currently these

http://www.dtown.co.il/forum/attachments/_3-jpg.28561/

 

[EsaT]

No, I've open-backed cans. The problem is twofold; I've a huge noggin which makes any headphones uncomfortable after a few hours, and I've never been blown away by any virtual surround solution I've listened to (and I've listened to a few recently). I blame my ears this time.

In clamping force AKGs would be one of the lightest if that's the problem.

Head (+ear) size and shape affect to how sound changes on its way to ears.
So your "own HRTF"/what brains have learned to interpret likely differs clearly from average head model used in most binaural-simulations.

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

Correct. So until the Smyth Realiser gets stellar reviews, and becomes mainstream, I'm looking into speakers.

 

[Aberfala]

I use an old Sony DA3500ES receiver and Tannoy TFX5.1 speakers.

I use the Sony amp as it has seperate RCA connectors rather than using optical or HDMI as I had numerous problems with both.

I also used a Logitech Z906 5.1 system which works fine although as expected it's not as good sounding as the receiver and speakers.

 

[EsaT]

Correct. So until the Smyth Realiser gets stellar reviews, and becomes mainstream, I'm looking into speakers.

Such shame that sound cards makers don't offer different HRTFs.
As numerical data those shouldn't even take really any space.

And I guess asking for some kind standard for HRTFs so that you could get your own HRTF measured and use it would be asking for moon.

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

Yeah, sound has generally been left behind by most companies. It's an afterthought. Hopefully VR will re-invigorate this side of gaming, with the need for better immersion.

Anyway, could the guys who had/have surround speaker setups indulge me for a moment? I'm just wondering what kind of layout you used, i.e. your position in relation to the monitor, desk, speakers, size of room etc?

 

[ElB]

I've got a bargain basement Logitech setup, and it's in a really cramped space -- front speakers are just behind and to the sides of my primary monitor, angled outwards slightly (they're about a meter away from my ears and 60cm apart), and lying on their sides so they fire under the screen; centre speaker is sitting on the monitor stand; the two rear speakers are in a similar arrangement on a shelf behind me; and finally the sub is under my desk. Stereo separation is surprisingly good considering the lack of spacing, and for the most part it works better than I have any right to expect given the less than optimal layout, but one of these days I'll get round to sorting the room out to give myself a bit more space to spread out!

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

I use an old Sony DA3500ES receiver and Tannoy TFX5.1 speakers.

I use the Sony amp as it has seperate RCA connectors rather than using optical or HDMI as I had numerous problems with both.

I also used a Logitech Z906 5.1 system which works fine although as expected it's not as good sounding as the receiver and speakers.

Those Tannoys look perfect for a desktop. How far behind you are the rears?

I've got a bargain basement Logitech setup, and it's in a really cramped space -- front speakers are just behind and to the sides of my primary monitor, angled outwards slightly (they're about a meter away from my ears and 60cm apart), and lying on their sides so they fire under the screen; centre speaker is sitting on the monitor stand; the two rear speakers are in a similar arrangement on a shelf behind me; and finally the sub is under my desk. Stereo separation is surprisingly good considering the lack of spacing, and for the most part it works better than I have any right to expect given the less than optimal layout, but one of these days I'll get round to sorting the room out to give myself a bit more space to spread out!

Nice to know that you can get decent sound in small spaces!

 

[Aberfala]

Those Tannoys look perfect for a desktop. How far behind you are the rears?

About a metre, the front and centre speakers sit on the desk, the rears are on stands.

The room I'm in is 2 metres wide and it's got speakers in each corner with me sitting pretty much in the middle. Given the small size of the room the directional sound effect is great.

 

[Raggs]

i use a old Logitech x540 system wasn't expensive tbh but it's lasted 7 years so far, decent for the money one speaker either side of the monitor centre tucked under my monitor riser placing the rears bit awkward wall mounted one the other sits on piece of furniture i'm closer to the wall mounted one though but best i can do with the room layout. sub is tucked under the desk

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

Thanks for the feedback guys. My room would be a bigger space to work with, but I'm not sure how to best go about placing of the rears. I must knock up a plan in Paint to see what you think.

 

[Relentless81]

used to have a Cambridge sound works 5.1 setup, I loved it but took too much room up and couldn't make use of it when my son arrived

then I bought a sennheiser gsx and now I live the minimalist, driverless dream

 

[Random Guy Esq.]

The GSX is something I've looked into, and it certainly appeals for a number of reasons. But it still comes back to HRTF and headphone comfort.

 

[Rroff]

Unless I'm playing something with a cinematic singleplayer experience, etc. I've taken to wearing some reasonably capable earbuds for gaming for long term comfort purposes though have to swap them out if I'm playing something that requires voice comms :| they also tend to work well with HRTF type setups which can be a lot more hit and miss with the intricacies of bigger headphone drivers.

 

[Kei]

I sometimes use 4.1 surround using dolby digital live out via optical on my xonar essence st. This goes to a marantz AV7701 processor and via separate power amplifiers to tannoy SRM-10B front speakers, a pair of in ceiling effects speakers and a home made sub. I'd have a centre channel too if I could get one to match the fronts. Generally I stick to stereo alternating between the tannoys and a pair of JBL control 1's.