What Is A 7.1 Gaming Headset? (Here’s What You Need to Know) -

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Gamers need high-quality headsets when playing to make it fun and easy on their ears. So, what is a 7.1 gaming headset?

The 7.1 gaming headset is an audio-visual device mimicking a 7.1 surround system’s audio environment. It has multiple speaker drives located at the ears or through binaural encoding, enabling separate and simultaneous representation of different frequency sounds to each ear.

This article will give you all the information you need to be acquainted with the 7.1 gaming headset. Also, its correlation with the 7.1 surround sound and the features make it both a joy and a pain.

What Does 7.1 Mean on Headphones?

Being the latest audio system, the 7.1 surround in the physical environment is an eight-channel audio system, having seven speakers and a subwoofer. The same audio system for a headset is not practical, so it mimics it by using multiple drives or encoding software.

The 7.1 audio system is an advancement of the standard 5.1 sound configuration, a six-channel configuration, as it has two more speakers. Both surround systems do, however, make use of the same positional audio speaker configurations at the front, right, left, and center and a subwoofer.

Unlike the 5.1 two-way channel, the 7.1 surround system uses four channels, split from the surround, and rear channels into the left and right surround and two back channels.

The 7.1 surround systems for headphones are currently available in two virtual and true surround systems. Each system has its unique benefits. The virtual surround is fitted with software that allows the headphone mic to transfer audio streams into virtual spaces on each ear through a binaural algorithm conversion.

Do You Need 7.1 Surround Sound for Gaming?

Although the 7.1 surround sound is highly advertised for gaming, it is unnecessary. The surround system is, however, preferred by many gamers as it provides a tremendous immersive audio environment, allowing the gamer to hear everything.

This feature allows the gamer to identify his enemy’s plan ahead of time and make his plan to sabotage them, giving him the upper hand.

In most headsets, this feature is activated by long pressing the headset button. Your gaming opponent will have no control over what you hear, allowing you to win easily. The 7.1 surround systems cannot improve your gaming skills unless you constantly practice.

Is 7.1 Surround Sound Headphones Good for Gaming?

Yes and no. Depending on your game, 7.1 surround sound headphones with best soundstage can positively or negatively affect your gaming. For some players, the immersive experience these headphones give you proves significant to your gaming wins, as they allow you to hear every detail of your enemy.

If you are easily distracted, these headphones will be a stumbling block to your victory.

If you, however, use the 7.1 surround sound system headphones when gaming, the true surround sound headphones would be best. These headphones are fitted with complex tech support, making them excellent for noise cancellation.

The multiple speaker drives on each ear provide an accurate location of the sound in each speaker.

How Does 7.1 Surround Sound Work With Headphones?

The 7.1 surround sound mimics the human ear to provide the best sound quality. Humans are made with only two ears, but these ears can accurately tell where particular sounds are coming from.

It is due to a head-related transfer frequency (HRTF). The frequency affects parts related to the ear, the head, the shoulders, and the outer ear, to rightly define where the sound waves are coming from without even reaching the ear.

Manufacturers of the 7.1 surround sound claim to use the HRTF feature of a human ear to improve the sound quality of earphones. The audio from a game is transformed into different audio cues through the HRTF algorithm. The transformation is meant to replicate the 360-degree listening experience found in the surround sound.

However, making such a replica on headphones is tricky due to space. The manufacturer must make do with only two speakers. For this reason, the 7.1 surround headphones cannot compare to the surround system.

What Gaming Headset Has the Best Surround Sound?

There are so many excellent gaming headsets out there. But here are the best:

Steel-series Arctis 7 Wireless Gaming Headset

Features of the steel-series arctis 7 make it undoubtedly the top-ranking gaming headset. It has excellent sound clarity and is fitted with a 2.4G ultra-low-latency frequency. The immersion level created by the DTS X v2.0 surround sound is to the next level.

The headset is wireless, so it needs to trip over cables and also has a comfortable fitting as the mic is bi-directional, retractable, and certified by discord. This gaming headset also comes with a 24-hr long battery life.

The Razer Nari Ultimate Gaming Headset

This headset, also known as the hyper sense, takes sound immersion to a new level. The headset gives a new dimension to gaming by adding some haptic technology to its already booming THX spatial audio.

The hyper-sense feature is only activated when a loud sound comes from the game, which can distract a player. The feature is, however, easy to disable, allowing saving on battery.

This gaming headset is also quite comfortable as it is lightweight and has gel-loaded ear pads. Its wireless connection is also excellent, making it one of the most loved gaming headsets.

The Logitech G935 Lightsync 7.1 Surround Sound Headset

This gaming headset has both wired and wireless features. It also has a long-lasting battery life that goes to a maximum of twelve hours with a single charge.

The headset is also comfortable to wear as it is lightweight and has a retractable mic. It also has excellent sound mixing features, with a bass out of this world.

Final Thoughts

The 7.1 gaming headset is one that most gamers dream of owning. The advanced tech setup of this headset ensures the quality of sound is excellent and the immersion environment is top-notch. Its replication of the HRTF ear feature makes it all the more natural to the gamer.

All these features make the 7.1 gaming headset one of the most bought by gamers. If you are wondering whether to get the 7.1 gaming headset, wonder no more! You will be in for a treat.