Headsets, have settings, surround it's all a bit a mind field.. help

[enigma27]

Hi All.

This has probably been discussed in length before but i have spent 2 hours reading up and I am still none the wiser.

So I FPS game and want the best bust most simplest position audio I can set-up. I see a lot of people say 5.1 or 7.1 headsets are just a gimmick and good stereo headphones are just fine.. but here is the bit that gets me.. WHAT SETTINGS IN WINDOWS AND GAMES SHOULD I USE??

That’s the bit that baffles me… So I have two set-ups I can use

Seinhesser HD598 + Onboard sound on my z170 board (think it’s a creative chip)

Or

Hyper X II gaming headset (USB and has amp built in)

I really am not a fan of virtual surround so my question would be..

What would be best out of these two setups?
Would a USB DAC improve the 598s anymore? What would you suggest around 100 quid off it would

Second question would be what settings should I use in windows and games if I don’t want virtual surround? Do I set windows to stereo and games to stereo? Would I still get positional audio setting everything to stereo?

On the subject of virtual audio I have heard the dolby atmos for headphones is supposed to be good for stereo headsets but again I find it hard to understand what settings to use in games when using it..

Any help and explanation guys is appreciated.

 

[EsaT]

Even tuning one driver to work well with headphone's cup for good sound is hard so do you think it easier to do that with truck load of cheapest garbage drivers?
Besides human with two input "channels/microphones" is perfectly equipped to hear quite decent 3D sound with just proper two channel signal.
Assuming headphones are good and listener's head/ear size and shape are close to average.
http://berkeleybside.com/sound-dimensions-of-binaural-recording/


While headset itself (made by honestly trying Takstar) is decent HyperX II's USB dongle is typical cheap China production with substandard technical performance like no doubt in nearly all gaming junks.
https://forums.overclockers.co.uk/threads/hyperx-cloud-2-headset.18785209/
And likely using common Dolby Headphone processing which is plain gothic cathedral/public path echo chamber.
Despite of big Dolby name/brand...
Also fashionable Astro Mixamps use Dolby Headphone.

In competitive gaming sense HD598 should be one of the best possible headphones with its neutral bass making it easy to hear foot steps etc.
Though of course everything is compromise so that neutral bass also makes "fun factor" low with empty feeling of explosion sounds etc.

If your motherboard actually has Creative's chip in, or comes bundled with Creative's SBX Pro Studio software then it has binaural-simulation.

WHAT SETTINGS IN WINDOWS AND GAMES SHOULD I USE??

Windows sound playback setting's to surround channels mode.
Nowadays most games don't even have really any own sound settings but just use 2.0/5.1 basing to what Windows tells it.
But in case of the setting present it needs to be 5.1/surround.
Similarly any media player default to Windows settings and output those channels when watching DVD/Bluray/video file.

Second question would be what settings should I use in windows and games if I don’t want virtual surround? Do I set windows to stereo and games to stereo? Would I still get positional audio setting everything to stereo?

If you want artificial "in left ear-in center of head-in right ear" sound use stereo/2.0 for everything.

Yeah, in longer time getting nauseating feeling from that artificial "in one ear-in center of head" sound no matter if listening with DT990 or HD595...

Audio source itself could produce binaural-sound directly, but the way sounds are afterthough/secondary to graphics and others more fashionable things you can't trust games to do that.
Though basic crossfeed to prevent that "in one ear" sound can be present.

 

[enigma27]

ok in the end decided to treat myself to a pair of AKG 702 and a M3 dac/amp combo..

 

[V F]

ok in the end decided to treat myself to a pair of AKG 702 and a M3 dac/amp combo..

Why not the M6?

 

[enigma27]

didn't need any of the additional connections really and wanted to keep cost down.

now dont know whether usb or optical is better.. i understand if its Asynchronous then usb is better option

 

[V F]

I was reading the reviews of the AKG 702, very interesting. Think at some point real soon I might go down this path. The M6 is also spoken highly...

 

[enigma27]

so far they are very good.. sound stage is awesome on them..

but i get why people say if you like music then these arnt for you.. i only listen to music now and again so no worries for me.. gaming is my main use

 

[EsaT]

so far they are very good.. sound stage is awesome on them..

but i get why people say if you like music then these arnt for you.. i only listen to music now and again so no worries for me.. gaming is my main use

For gaming they would just need proper binaural signal to put that sound stage into use.
Just listen first usual stereo sound starting from 13 minutes and then return to start:

 

[rids57]

so far they are very good.. sound stage is awesome on them..

but i get why people say if you like music then these arnt for you.. i only listen to music now and again so no worries for me.. gaming is my main use

If you want a little more bass and sub-bass (5db) there is a very simple mod you can do. I did mine and will never go back to stock.