7.1 Surround

[Wagnelles]

They mentioned this feature on the Store page. What is the best way to fully experience it on a PC? I'm sorry if this is a simple thing, I'm not familiar with home theaters, audio channels and stuff,

Thanks in advance.

[Antitype]

Either with a proper surround speaker setup, or setup a virtual 7.1 setup with EqualizerAPO and enjoy on headphones with VSS of your choice. IMO for games Creatives (newer) SBX is the best.

[ACE]

i would prefer a real 7.1 speaker setup with bass/low frequenzy speaker on each direction, and the subwoofer behind the TV, will make the gunfire be more realsitic^^ (using a desk with a 43" 4K tv^^)

[Wagnelles]

Originally posted by ACE:

i would prefer a real 7.1 speaker setup with bass/low frequenzy speaker on each direction, and the subwoofer behind the TV, will make the gunfire be more realsitic^^ (using a desk with a 43" 4K tv^^)

And where would I connect such speakers?

[JUMP'NSHOOTMAN]

Originally posted by Wagnelles:

Originally posted by ACE:

i would prefer a real 7.1 speaker setup with bass/low frequenzy speaker on each direction, and the subwoofer behind the TV, will make the gunfire be more realsitic^^ (using a desk with a 43" 4K tv^^)

And where would I connect such speakers?

You would use preferably an audio receiver which you can use optical audio, or if the receiver is new enough, HDMI audio bypass. Personally I'd go with optical since I'm not shelling out for a receiver that supports 2.0 or higher HDMI so I can hit 4K.

[Wagnelles]

Originally posted by JUMP'NSHOOTMAN:

Originally posted by Wagnelles:

And where would I connect such speakers?

You would use preferably an audio receiver which you can use optical audio, or if the receiver is new enough, HDMI audio bypass. Personally I'd go with optical since I'm not shelling out for a receiver that supports 2.0 or higher HDMI so I can hit 4K.

I see. Well, I got a lot to learn, most receivers I just saw are so expensive, I could never afford one. Not to mention the speakers. The more Dolby/DTS formats they support, the more expenive they are.

[Bovino]

Originally posted by Wagnelles:

They mentioned this feature on the Store page. What is the best way to fully experience it on a PC? I'm sorry if this is a simple thing, I'm not familiar with home theaters, audio channels and stuff,

Thanks in advance.

Be warned
Audio is a VERY PERSONAL THING so what works with others may not work with you.

First of all, surround gaming is very niche, pretty much all the guides on the net basically tell you to buy an expensive set of 2.1 speakers and that's it. But don't worry, PC 7.1 speakers do exist but they are costly and most of the time they are made for proper sound cards (tho there are some mobos out there with good onboard sound).

So that's step 2, spend (lots of) money

Step 1 is doing some research if your system is even ready for it, which should be unless your mobo is some obscure budget brand that can't even afford a realtek chip (those support surround sound). Checking your mobo's webpage should tell you right away since manufacturers like to boast the unboard sound capabilities. Also, if you have a recent Nvidia or AMD card, those can act as sound cards as well, but they only output surround sound via HDMI port.

Now, back to step 2. Most people connect the speakers up directly to the PC, while others (like me) take the more complicated route and use a receiver to handle the speakers.

Pratical result is the same, it's just that adding a receiver allows me to use my 5.1 setup for basically everything else without touching connectors AND the receiver supports a wider range of connector types, but if all you want is to have 7.1 sound on PC then the "direct route" is the best.

I could keep on writting but there are great guides on the internet, but be aware that most rules are determined by your room layout and there is a lot of setup work to be done and be ready to handle miles of wires.

That's step 0, before you get started read, read a lot, the AV forums are a good place to ask about audio and people are usually very helpfull.

But once you get it working it's well worth it.

[ACE]

Originally posted by Wagnelles:

Originally posted by ACE:

i would prefer a real 7.1 speaker setup with bass/low frequenzy speaker on each direction, and the subwoofer behind the TV, will make the gunfire be more realsitic^^ (using a desk with a 43" 4K tv^^)

And where would I connect such speakers?

easiest way: get an active 5/7.1 active speaker system and connect to the colored chinch connectors on the back of your PC. => best compability
If you get a surround reciever it´s complicated getting the sound to it digital, most sound devices doesn´t support encoding of those channels, else you are stuck to 2.0 :/ AMD GPUs with the soundprocessor as well as mot realtek onboard support encoding, plus soundblaster devices, but i think they are outdated now... I heard there are software encoders as well, freeware ones, but haven´t usd yet. anyway, it is a science on PCs, so best is connect a reciever digital as well analog. i recommend a reciever if you are playing on a TV as well with consoles. on those you are in need of a decoder built in a reciever

[Wagnelles]

Thanks guys. Will definitely take notes and see what I can do. Seems amazing, but unfortunately pricey.

@Antitype (post #1) said something about virtual 7.1 using software on headphones. While I assume it wouldn't be as good as a proper speaker system, are those worth checking out?

[Antitype]

Best way to decide whether it's worth checking out is to download Dolby Access on the Windows store, then install the 30 days Dolby Atmos Headphone trial and sample the videos they have. Amaze and Leaf are great at showcasing the spacialization. The effect is far better on good open-back headphones due to their greater soundstage.

As for which VSS is best, it depends on people, personally I dislike when they sound tiny and add reverb, so my go to choices are Creative SBX 720° for games (hard one to get, you need either a recent Creative soundcard, or a higher end motherboard that comes with the software) and Dolby Atmos Headphones for movies. Windows 10 comes preinstalled with Windows Sonic since the Creators update, it's good at spacialization, but it sounds a little bit tiny for my tastes and adds a little bit of reverb. There are many different VSS, the old Dolby Headphones, that is pretty awful, Razer Surround, also bad as it overdoes the effect, DTS Headphones X, rather good, but you need headphones/headset or a DAC that comes with it. I believe Sennheiser also have their own, but I never got the chance to try it. And that's just from the top of my head, I'm sure I'm missing some.

Make no mistake, it won't sound as good as a real 7.1 setup, but it's nice and when I'm on headphones I always use it.

[Wagnelles]

Thank you buddy, I really appreciate this. Will definitely try the Atmos trial, I hope it makes gaming better with what I have.

[Ruse]

Human ears only hear in stero. Why waste money on 7.1?

[ACE]

Originally posted by Theresa Barkskin:

Human ears only hear in stero. Why waste money on 7.1?

lol, go to a tech market and get a demonstration. if not hearing, consult a doctor :p

[Wagnelles]

I believe that was a nod to the "human eye can only see 30 fps" meme.

[Antitype]

While searching if there was a way to get Sennheiser GSX Surround without the expensive DAC, I stumbled upon this: https://www.reddit.com/r/headphones/comments/6rtbcb/guide_every_headphone_surround_virtualization_on/
That person reproduced every VSS by recording the output (channel mixing and convolution). I'm not sure if it's 100% identical, but I did the waterfall test with the few I'm familiar with and it seems pretty darn close at least.
Just follow the guide, it's pretty easy to setup.