My speakers are no more. 2.1 speakers or headset?

[Junglist]

My beloved Corsair SP2500s bit the dust last night. Just stopped working and I think they've blown. Gutted as they were brilliant 2.1 speakers but I've had them since 2011 and they died in 2014 but Corsair replaced them free of charge despite being out of warranty.

Initially i thought I'd just buy a 2nd hand pair from Fleabay but then I started thinking, after a late night playing games last night, that maybe a change is needed. My current headset is equally old - A Razer Megalodon virtual 7.1 headset, but it has served me well for several years.

I was planning on replacing my headset with a wireless one soon anyway but I think now my speakers have bit the dust I am thinking of maybe doubling down and getting a relatively nice headset which I'll use exclusively rather than speakers.

I have my eye on the Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless but wondering if anyone has any other recommendations? Or should I just invest in another pair of 2.1's

 

[EsaT]

So primary use would be gaming?
Would myself never go back to stereo speakers in general gaming.
(while besides fast rising cost surround speakers sets have room acoustics/positioning/space requirement worries)

If head shape is close to average, good headphones are capable to darn good immersion, with also feel of distance besides direction.
Emphasis on word good:
We hear in 3D with two ears, because head's shape causes direction dependant changes to signal received by both ears from sound source.
These binaural cues can be simulated mathematically, when having proper surround sound as input data.
To work well those binaural cues need accurate reproduction.
(besides fitting listener's head shape)

And closed headphone design used by pretty much all "gaming" headphones is challenge for that even to actual audio makers.
(Sennheiser become big name for developing open headphone design)
While gaming brand headphones are made with same cheap production-maximal profits principles as these:
https://hollywoodstreetking.com/beats-by-dre-made-in-china-for-five-bucks/
Huge profit margins for cheap trinket production is reason for explosion of amount of gaming headphones inside 15 years.
And pretty much the bigger the hype, the worser the quality:
https://uk.hardware.info/reviews/60...gher-quality-testresults---frequency-response


Of course if you have noisy environment then closed headphones are needed.
But if there's no need for that, then closed design is just unneeded challenge for sound.
Besides increasing heat insulation and sweating risk of ears.
One of the reasons I haven't looked back to speakers in over dozens years, is that I can use open headphones for whole day.
And you can get some of the best for gaming open headphones from audio makers for less than many gaming trinkets.

~100£ costing AKG K702 is one of the best possible headphones for gaming, if you want the best details and neutral accurate bass.
Higher prices don't mean anything in accuracy, because unlike binaural cues, stereo music doesn't give a damn about accuracy of reproduction.
And quite many "audiophile" fashions for sound are all about inaccurate sound...
I mean ever heard of "warm" sounding accordion or brass band?

If you want more fun above neutral bass punch, at some expense in distinguishing details, Beyerdynamic DT990 Pro costs same.
And rarely for todays disposable culture world, you can buy all parts as spare parts from Beyerdynamic, if something wears out.


Binaural sound simulation itself has been standard part of most sound cards for years.
(though not all cards have had good algorithms)
Creative also sells their HRTF algorithm including software bundle for use with any existing sound card.
Now there's also been major improvement in technical quality of headphone output of some sound cards.
Though still there aren't too many sound cards checking all good current, voltage and power output capability...
Or low output impedance for high electric damping factor (and headphone driver control) with fashionable low impedance headphones.

 

[Junglist]

You really know your stuff! I wish there was a shop near by me that I could go in and test out PC hardware. I ordered the Arctis pro wireless in the end (don't judge too much) but mostly cause I wanted to hear them in person.

Overclockers... feel free to open up another store down in Bristol!