Surround Speakers or Headset?

[penetrator27]

Hi there,

I am in two minds about what to do about my need for surround sound gaming. (I love being immersed in the sounds of the battlefield)

I currently run an SB Live (not the best) that pumps out 5.1 surround but I need a way to harness this effect so that I get good positional sounds.

Currently I have a mini jack to phono runing across my room to the amp on my stereo system which has two decent floorstanders connected to it, problem is that it can only use one output from the soundcard i.e front speaker output so I can get some positional sounds & good bass response but I am missing out on the full effect.
I would really like to hook up four or five speakers to my current set up to get full 5.1 surround but unless I can get my sound card to output the full 5.1 through one cable I cannot do this. Even more anoying is the fact that I have a surround amp with dolby, I need some way of getting all of the sounds from computer to the amp in one cable. (aux in)

Can anyone help with this.


My other option is just to get a pair of Zalman 5.1's & forget the stereo system. Only thing is i'd much prefer to use my proper speakers & hi-fi equipment as that's what its for, using a headset would be an easy way out ultimately not satisfying my need for a booming game environment & not utilising the equipment I already have.

Final thoughts: There must be hundreds of people with this very same problem, a decent stereo that they listen to music on that sits idle when they are gaming!?! Go figure......
Surely there is a product/adapter or something out there that we can use to overcome this?

Also:

Is there a way of testing positional sound?
Is it worth upgrading to an Audigy?

[Merlin]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

I would really like to hook up four or five speakers to my current set up to get full 5.1 surround but unless I can get my sound card to output the full 5.1 through one cable I cannot do this.

The only way to get 5.1 through one cable is to do it digitally, the normal 5.1 outputs are analogue. Does your amp have a digital input?

You could buy a dedicated sourround system for your PC, that way it would have all the correct connectors for your current soundcard.

My other option is just to get a pair of Zalman 5.1's & forget the stereo system. Only thing is i'd much prefer to use my proper speakers & hi-fi equipment as that's what its for, using a headset would be an easy way out ultimately not satisfying my need for a booming game environment & not utilising the equipment I already have.

If you go for a gaming headset the SpeedLink Medusa's are worth a look. They are true 5.1.

[penetrator27]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

Yes it does have a digital input

I cannot afford a separate system.

[Merlin]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

Ok does your sound card have a digital ouput?

[megawhompertoo]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

I have the Zalman 5.0's hooked up to an audigy 2 zs. They are NOT 5.1's--the base channel is cut on every pair manufactured. It does spare the ears, but you have to put up with a bit of deceptive adertising.

A quote from the review at: http://www.tweaknews.net/reviews/zhead/index3.php

"The surround sound features of these headphones work superbly making it clear what direction sounds were coming from. The only gripe I have is that the BASS was almost non-existent. These headphones are obviously not amplified but as they claim to be 5.1 there should be at least a little of the .1 in there."

I can tell you that the headphones are comfortable and the directional effect is as almost as good as any mid-range floor-standing 5.1 system. However, you may miss the meaty "blat-blat-blat" of a firing APC and the subtle rumble of a tank getting near you in-game. I don't really miss it that much, and besides, if you play for more than an hour at a time, then too much bass through headphones can damage your ears.

[penetrator27]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

yep i have spdif out on sound card

[knghtwhosaysni]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

What sound card do you have?

I would go with the actual 5.1 surround sound speakers, the booming bass is sweet

[penetrator27]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

SB live

[SMeeD]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

Ive got the LTB 5.1 headphones and they dont have much bass either. Ive the Logitech x-530 surround speakers, they cost about as much as the headphones. If I had to make a decision I definitely take the speakers over the headphones.

[penetrator27]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

oh no! just found out I have not got spdif out on my sound card, its actualy a spdif in port so that idea is out the window.

does anyone know the cheapest decent card with spdif out on it?

[vs._9mm]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

I just have a pair of regular sony $20 walmart headphones plugged into my creative 2.0 speakers (by the volume control) which is hooked into my audigy 2 zs and it sounds like surround sound to me. I use EAX in BF2 and America's Army, and I have no problem whatsoever figuring out where stuff is coming from, and planes/choppers go from left to right and behind no problem.

[FeX_IronC]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

If you go for a gaming headset the SpeedLink Medusa's are worth a look. They are true 5.1.

i have the medusa headset and it has excellent positional sound...I can recommend it when you don't want your study full of speakers. The headset is certainly on the heavier side, so if you don't like that stay better away from it.

[abtomat74]

Re: Surround Speakers or Headset?

What kind of mobo do you have? If its recent, I bet it has optical and/or coaxial outputs on it.

Try it out before you buy another sound card...you might be pleasantly surprised by it.