thick question regarding surround sound on headphones

[darkgen]

As the topic suggests, I'm after some headphones which provide surround sound.

Apparently "Sennheiser HD 555" are one of the best to go for but.. how do you enable surround sound when playing games?

I'm presuming I need to get a card which allows for EAX and then some how get the game/OS to recognise the fact I'm using headphones?

*prepares to be enlightened/ignored for thickness*

Cheers, Paul.

 

[Greenlizard0]

Most games will have a setting within e.g. the hardware/options menu for sound where you can enable surround sound.

Otherwise it'll be done within control panel -> "speaker output" options.

 

[Hen_Dawg]

*replying for thinkness*

The X-fi series and the Audigys do EAX and something CMSS3D, the latter is an advanced 3D sound specifically for headphones and works great (poviding the card is working OK).

The sennheiser are just a good pair of stereo phones so enabling the surround effects in games is all done in the sound card control panel.
Depending on the game you change a couple of settings in that too but it's pretty simple

See threads about this stuff below
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17845806
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17832531

 

[darkgen]

Hmm well OK, thanks for the responses.

I decided to look at the Audigy 2 nx or Creative Xmod External USB Sound Card, since I do not have a spare pci slot ,and then after a little more delving it would seem (on the surface) pointless to bother.
Neither eax or cmss3d work correctly/are fully supported within vista x64. According to various articles etc I've read, a lot of functionality appears to be lost etc.

Oh well, Paul.

EDIt to include "Creative Xmod External USB Sound Card"

 

[darkgen]

OK, so what, if any, is the best USB solution to provide surround sound (CMSS-3d) to games (vista x64).

Does one even exist?

Cheers, Paul.