Surround sound in cinemas is one of the best audio experiences one can have while consuming media.
Unfortunately, its mostly a waste of time and money.
Were here to uncover the snake oil and tell you what works and what doesnt.
Image Credit: Pakostnyi/Flickr
What Is Surround Sound?
Surround sound is an audio technique that uses multiple channels (multiple speakers).
The speakers are set up in specific locations around the listener to create a 360-degree listening experience.
If youre wondering what the numbers mean, they represent the number of speakers.
The first number is the number of main speakers, and the “.1” refers to the subwoofer.
7.1 would mean there are seven speakers and one subwoofer.
Why Is 7.1 Surround Bad on Stereo Headphones?
As mentioned previously, you need multiple speakers to create the surround sound experience.
Headphones only have two channels: the left and right speakers.
How do you expect to hear from more than two speakers if thats all you have?
Some headphones, like the Razer Tiamat, have multiple drivers on each ear cup.
However, there has been very little proof of the Tiamat actually being a better experience.
This is probably why Razer stopped updating that product line.
If the Tiamat was actually good, audiophiles wouldve caught wind of it and proved its value.
Essentially, surround sound features on gaming headphones are just exaggerated audio processing techniques.
If audio separation is what you’re looking for, open-back headphones are a great choice.
Check out acomparison of open-back vs. closed-back headphonesto learn more about why they might suit your use case.
This calculation is then applied to the signal to simulate how it would sound on your headphones.
HRTF is not perfect and the math is based on a generic model head and ear shape.
This model may not be exactly like yours, but it will be good enough for most people.
Surround sound processors that use and implement HRTF well can provide great experiences.
DTS Headphone:X and Dolby Atmos software audio processing are great examples of this.
They both use HRTF technology and they are able to process audio quite well.
you could even hear sounds coming from below you.
These are also available on consoleshowever, DTS Headphone:X is not available for PS5.
The most common problem for HRTF on stereo headphones however is distinguishing the front and back.
Your experience may vary depending on your head and the headphones youre using.
What Kind of Headphones Should You Buy?
However, its not as good at distinguishing between above and below compared to the previously mentioned software.
However, they do leak out sound and outside sounds can be heard quite easily.
Consult ourguide to important headphone termsto learn more.
These suggestions are based on price to performance.
There are certainly great-sounding gaming headphones out there, but very few can justify their price.
