{"id":557,"date":"2021-10-11T03:49:23","date_gmt":"2021-10-11T03:49:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aveverything.com.au\/news\/?p=557"},"modified":"2023-09-18T12:01:02","modified_gmt":"2023-09-18T12:01:02","slug":"surround-sound-headphones-best-buys-types","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aveverything.com.au\/news\/tips-and-advice\/surround-sound-headphones-best-buys-types\/","title":{"rendered":"Surround Sound Headphones | Best Buys & Types"},"content":{"rendered":"

Surround sound<\/a> headphones are a must for hardcore gamers. They make the game much more immersive, and allow you to be a better player by knowing where you\u2019re about to be attacked from. They also help to make movies a little more mesmerising, particularly action-packed blockbusters.<\/p>\n

In this article, we\u2019ll explore the two main types of surround sound headphones, talk about the technologies behind them, and cover some of the best headphones on the market.<\/p>\n

How do surround sound headphones work?<\/h2>\n

There\u2019s two different types of surround sound headphones which use different technologies to create surround sound\u2014true surround headphones, and virtual surround sound headphones.<\/p>\n

True surround sound headphones<\/h3>\n

Surround sound systems use multiple speakers to \u201csurround\u201d you with sound. In a home theater setup, this might include three speakers next to the television, and two speakers on either side of the couch (5.1 surround sound<\/a>\u00a0because there\u2019s five speakers).<\/p>\n

\u201cTrue\u201d surround sound headphones work in the same way, but instead of the speakers being placed around the room, they\u2019re placed around the ear cups to achieve the same effect. So true surround sound headphones use multiple speakers to create surround sound but in a much smaller space.<\/p>\n

\"True<\/a><\/p>\n

True surround sound headphones (Razer Tiamat 7.1) that use multiple speakers in one ear cup. Image from DEXTmall<\/a><\/p>\n

Because true surround sound headphones have to pack so many speakers into such a small space, they tend to be bulky and expensive. And with software becoming ever more powerful, virtual surround sound headphones have become a lot more popular\u2014they\u2019re cheaper, smaller, and produce a similar quality of surround sound.<\/p>\n

Virtual surround sound headphones<\/h3>\n

Our ears and brains have evolved to be extremely good at detecting where sound is coming from. This helped to alert our ancestors to danger, such as a tiger slowly stalking its way towards their cave. So when we hear the subtle crack of a branch behind us, we know exactly where it\u2019s coming from and can whip around to fight off the stripey nightmare.<\/p>\n

This phenomenon is known as head-related transfer function (HRTF)\u2014how our ears receive sound from the space around us. Virtual surround sound headphones use this phenomenon to mimic surround sound, but with software instead of multiple speakers (they have just two speakers, one in each ear cup). The software is able to send the distinct audio channels to different parts of the ear, to mimic how you\u2019d hear the sound if it were coming from a particular direction. If you were watching Mowgli with virtual surround sound headphones, and the dreaded tiger Shere Khan starts creeping towards you from behind, the crunch of leaves and snapping of branches would be sent to the back of your ear, so you\u2019re tricked into believing that a deadly tiger really is about to pounce (try not to attack your chair in response).<\/p>\n

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Virtual surround sound headphones use software to create surround sound, so only have two speakers, and look like regular headphones. Image from JW<\/a><\/p>\n

While there are plenty of standable virtual surround headphones available, you can also make most modern headphones surround sound capable by installing an app or amplifier (more on these below).<\/p>\n

Because software is used to achieve the surround sound effect, the audio processing can happen in various places\u2014on the gaming machine you\u2019re using, an external amplifier, or sometimes in the headphones themselves.<\/p>\n

Best true surround sound headphones<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re for true 5.1 surround sound headphones or 7.1 surround sound headphones, these are the pick of the bunch.<\/p>\n

Razer Tiamat 7.1 v2<\/h3>\n

\"Razer<\/a><\/p>\n

Image from Razer<\/p>\n