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Surround Sound Headphones
Posted: 2006-11-07 02:51pm
by JLTucker
Would a moderator please movie this thread to the correct place if it does not belong in G&C?
I was thinking about purchasing some surround sound headphones. I am contemplating doing this because I cannot afford a decent stereo system. I was wondering if anyone has ever tried any of these and whether or not it is worth it.
Here is a link to the headphones I was looking at.
Posted: 2006-11-07 03:02pm
by The Kernel
Don't get surround sound headphones, they are almost certainly crap. Get yourself a good stereo pair of Sennheisers or Grados instead.
Headroom will help you out here.
EDIT: The excellent budget Sennheiser HD 201 can be had for a mere $25.
Posted: 2006-11-07 03:04pm
by JLTucker
But I would like to have the effect that I get in the theater when I am watching a movie.
Posted: 2006-11-07 03:05pm
by Admiral Valdemar
How anyone can differentiate the sounds from such close proximity is beyond me. The spatial effects of surround sound equipment is based on their placement within a room and the associated acoustics. Trying to do that within a fist sized cup round your ear is folly.
Do what The Kernel says. I just got some new Sennheisers and I'm not looking back.
Posted: 2006-11-07 03:08pm
by The Kernel
Valdemar is correct, these things are a cheap novelty in headphones, nothing more.
Posted: 2006-11-07 03:36pm
by Admiral Valdemar
JLTucker wrote:But I would like to have the effect that I get in the theater when I am watching a movie.
So then buy a home cinema system. Pricey? Not at all. The Acoustic Solutions getup I have cost me not more than fifty squid off Amazon.co.uk (around eighty bucks). It's good quality, is 5.1 Dolby and came with a multi-region DVD player. It's actually better in build quality and features than my dad's dedicated DVD player by Aiwa at twice the price.
Posted: 2006-11-07 04:11pm
by aerius
JLTucker wrote:But I would like to have the effect that I get in the theater when I am watching a movie.
A good pair of regular headphones will give you the full surround sound effect. "Surround sound" headphones are a gimmick, they sound like shit, even worse than Bose.
I second The Kernel's recommendation of the Senn HD 201, it's an outstanding bargain which sounds ridiculously good for its price. It feels a bit cheap & flimsy, but holds up pretty well and sounds good. Not much can touch it 'till you get to the ~$60 range.
Posted: 2006-11-07 04:46pm
by phongn
Some sound cards will do HRTF processing to simulate the effects of surround sound with headphones - and do it quite well.
Posted: 2006-11-07 04:50pm
by Jade Falcon
I've got these headphones and they are damned good.
http://www.trustedreviews.com/article.aspx?art=1794
The boom mike is also good for gaming and is a decent quality, the headphones sound is very and is quite comfortable.
Posted: 2006-11-07 05:05pm
by InnocentBystander
I've got a pair of Zalman headphones, plus the zalman 5.1 usb sound card; the base isn't so good, but I find it pretty decent for playing games. Of course the Zalman 5.1 headphones were the first (I saw), and I'm sure by now there are better products out there. In addition, it allows me to play games without bothering people.
In addition, its impossible to get cheap speaker stands to get real 5.1 on your computer, I've looked.
edit:
Review of my headphones
The headpones you linked in the OP look pretty cheap, and I can't find any sort of reviews on them. I'd go with something else, at the very least.
Posted: 2006-11-07 05:17pm
by Ypoknons
Jade Falcon wrote:I've got these headphones and they are damned good.
Damned good compared to... what?
Posted: 2006-11-07 05:27pm
by The Kernel
Ypoknons wrote:Jade Falcon wrote:I've got these headphones and they are damned good.
Damned good compared to... what?
Seriously, there's are damn good reason why industry staples like Sennheiser don't make a surround sound headphone. Not the least of these is surround sound cans will ALWAY be inferior due to the cost of processing and the necessitation of extra speaker, which is money that can be better spent elsewhere.
Posted: 2006-11-07 05:32pm
by JLTucker
Posted: 2006-11-07 07:49pm
by Jade Falcon
Ypoknons wrote:Jade Falcon wrote:I've got these headphones and they are damned good.
Damned good compared to... what?
Hell, I don't know, but I was looking for a good comfortable set of headphones that would also serve as a decent mic for BF2, and I can tell you that they serve me well enough. I'm not comparing them to anything else, just saying that I found them to be good.