M18x + Razer tiamat

Hello

As many know - the razor tiamat is coming out. I was looking at it and it would require a 7.1 sound card to use the 7.1 one (dur)

I have an alienware m18x - I'm sure that doesn't have a 7.1 sound card - is there a way around it? or would it not be an option ?

thanks in advance!

 

You can get a USB external 7.1 Sound card, but can't comment on their quality.

Here are a few.

http://www.amazon.com/StarTech-com-External-16BIT-7-1CH-Adapter/dp/tech-data/B002LM0U2S

http://www.amazon.com/GWC-Technologies-AA1570-External-Channel/dp/B003WL5BQ2

http://www.amazon.com/Diamond-External-Xtreme-7-1-Channel-Device/dp/B0046B9O9W/ref=pd_cp_e_1

http://www.amazon.com/Sewell-USB-SoundBox-Sound-Card/dp/B004Y0ERRO/ref=pd_cp_e_0

http://www.amazon.com/Vantec-External-Channel-Audio-Adapter/dp/B004HXGJ3S/ref=pd_cp_e_1

http://www.amazon.com/SIIG-IC-710112-S1-USB-Soundwave-Digital/dp/B002LITGHM

 

Maybe it will include one like for example the roccat kulo 7.1 It comes with an external 7.1 usb sound card ROCCAT STUDIOS V3.0 - PRODUCTS » Gaming Sound » ROCCAT Kulo 7.1 USB

 

The specs on the Razer Tiamat drivers are terrible, and I can only imagine what the actual sound quality will be like. I've had Razer Carcharias before, they were awful and had tons of distortion.

Good Quality headphones will sound a lot better than those, and if you want 3d surround why not just get a good USB sound card that does dolby headphone or CMSS-3d? An Asus Xonar U3 or Creative X-Fi Surround USBwill also get you EAX and/or OpenAL which gives you up & down position as well for games that support it, and just regular HRTF 7.1 surround for the others.

We have two ears, and headphones are the perfect environment for HRTF technology to do it's work. I'll take my ATH-M50's with a properly setup X-Fi card any day over any over overpriced gimmicky headphones with 10 drivers crammed into them.

 

Razer Tiamat is TRUE 7.1....Kulo's are not.

 

that is true - i had a pair of the megalodon ones and they weren't as great as i thought they were be. but this one looks a bit more promising - might have to try it before i buy it though

 

Sorry, my bad

 

I will also agree that, Razer's headset's in the past has left a lot to be desired, but Honestly I would definitely wait for reviews. There are a lot of TRUE 5.1 headsets out there that do not really do 5.1 that good and there are a couple of gems that have gotten it right TB HPA2/HPX comes to mind. The Tiamat is a whole nother level of surround though so it may be bad or good only time will tell.

First off love that avy, Second no worries about it. Common misconception.

I will agree here for the most part, but there are exceptions such as the HPA2/HPX by Turtle Beach, which I use with a Creative Soundblaster X-FI 5.1 Surround PRO external SC. Their SS reproduction is one of the best I have heard out of a TRUE 5.1 headset.

 

If you specifically want to buy the Razer Tiamat, then you will need a sound card that supports 7.1 analog sound output. No way around this.

 

"True" Surround Sound in Headphones is a Myth

There is no such thing as "true" surround sound in headphones. Not in headphones with 2 sound drivers, and not in headphones with 10 sound drivers.

A true directional sound enters one ear slightly before it enters the other, and echos off of surfaces (floors, walls, earlobes, etc) in unique ways. Your brain interprets these slight differences in timing + echo as directional sound. That is why a home theatre surround sound speaker setup can producing convincing directional sound. You don't get this in headphones, because the sound from one headphone earcup will never enter the other ear.

All "surround sound" in headphones is done through software algorithms that use Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTF). The closest you will ever get is a software algorithm that takes a 5.1 / 7.1 source audio signal, calculates what the left & right ears should hear, and then sends that processed sound into your headphones.

Sometimes that software algorithm takes the form of a seperate breakout device (like a Dolby Headphone processor). Sometimes it is baked in to a pair of gaming headphones. And if done well, it can be pretty convincing.


How Do I Get the Best Surround Sound Support with Computer Gaming?

The quality of the surround sound effect you get through headphones will rely heavily on the quality of the surround algorithm that performs the Head-Related Transfer Function (HRTF) calcuations.

The two best HRTF algorithms for computer gamers are CMSS3D Headphone Mode (found in Creative Labs sound cards) and Dolby Headphone (found either as separate break-out boxes, or baked into gaming headsets themselves).

The realistic high-end for laptop-based surround sound in headphones would cost you around $300. That money would be spent on:

* Astro MixAmp ($125) - provides HRTF surround sound virtualization through a Dolby Headphone algorithm. Accepts digital optical input signal, or digital coax input signal.

* Entry level Audiophile-grade headphones ($150) - Lots of options here. If you want to also listen to music, stick with headphones traditionally regarded for "balanced" sound. Audio Technica ATH-A700, Audio Technica ATH-M50, Sennheiser HD555 or HD595, Grado SR-125 or SR-225. If you want to strictly use your headphones for gaming, go with intentionally unbalanced (bass-heavy) headphones like Sony MDR-V6, Beyerdynamic DT770, or Klipsch Image One headphones.

* $6 on a Zalman ZM-1 clip-on mic for microphone support.


So what about the Razer Tiamat?

The Razer Tiamat happens to use a breakout device that takes a 7.1 source analog signal, calculates what your Left / Right ears should hear through its HRTF algorithms, and plays back the calculated sound in its two ear cups. Since it is unreleased, we don't know what HRTF algorithm they use, or the quality of that HRTF algorithm.

My advice is to stay away from the Razer Tiamat. It is not the first product try this concept of multiple drivers in each ear cup (Pioneer and Sony also tried it).

I can tell you right now: The Razer Tiamat is a product targeted towards the uneducated buyer, and preys on the misconception that "more" must automatically mean "better." I'm sure it will work just fine. But you can get better performance / quality for less money from other manufacturers, if you do your homework and educate yourself on what to buy before you spend your money.

 

Alright First things first Their are headsets Labeled "TRUE" 5.1/7.1 and the other ones that you are talking about are VIRTUAL SIMULATED SURROUND.


No, "TRUE" surround sound gaming headset has any algorithms....It takes and delivers the audio data to the correct driver through the sound card's plugs, which processes the audio signals coming in from the source.

While you did recommend good headphones for music, but really the Astro mixamp. I don't think you have had any experience at all with any True 5.1 headsets. (No Offense) I also am not saying that all True gaming headsets are equal, but some are just as good as VSS and others are even better than VSS. Don't know about the Tiamat, but I can tell about:

True 5.1 Headsets I have used.
Tritton AX PRO(gimmick, but the decoder box that comes with them is far, far, far better than the A40 mixamp)
Tritton AX720(Gimmick)
Roccat Kave(rather good)
Turtle Beach HPA2/HPX(Absolute rockstars when paired with a good sound card)

Regular headsets I have used:
G35's(rather good, but have messed up on locations several times)
Megalodons(These should never be bought ever)
Carchiariasis(Sound leakage just as bad as the megalodons, but they where louder so that is a +)
Turtle Beach PX21(Alright for PS3 gaming doesn't do SS out the box, unless you buy a DSS, Astro Mixamp, or the awesome Tritton Decoder box)
Astro A40 (PX21/HPA2/HPX all sound better than the A40's. Using Astro's own Mixamp.Lol)

Headphones I have:
Audio Technica AD-700( I love these guys for Classical and soft music)
BeyerDynamic DT 770(Someone on the forums recommended these to me a while back, but forgot who they were. But they are awesome and IMHO better the the AD-700's)
Koss Porta-PRO<----love these little guys that are stuck in the 80s

DACS and Soundcards I have:
NuForce UDAC2 (I used to think this is one of the best USB DAC's I have used)
Creative Soundblaster X-FI Surround Pro 5.1.(makes my HPA2's and all other headsets shine compared to the integrated IDT solution on my system.)
FiiO E7 (Shipping soon. Lot's of great reviews and supposedly a lot better of a product than a UDAC2)
Turtle Beach DSS( it's alright I do prefer the Astro Mixamp though, can get signal interference from cell phones)
Astro Mixamp(Awesome little decoder box.)


Now that you know what I have used, I will tell you my best setup for gaming and Surround sound.

The HPA2 W/ the Creative Soundblaster EXternal Soundcard outperform any of the combinations I have tried between all of the above.(total cost= $130) This is of course my opinion and talking about sound is rather subjective so this is all my opinion. Direction positioning is flawless on these, I can accurately tell when a person is coming from all directions + the distance they are from me by their footsteps alone. I have a more immersive experience due to the quality of the sound + SS + the literally head shaking bass)

So Based on my experiences Kent... Virtual Surround is ok, and "True" surround can be a gimmick, if you do not do your research, but to say their is no difference between a TRUE surround set headset that does not use an algorithm and Virtuals which do is not right. Also, Judging by Razer's previous offerings these will probably be pretty bad.

My $.02

 

Another option is to use one of these:

Atlona 3D HDMI Decoder wth 7.1 analog output

Hook this baby up with HDMI out, plug your tiamat into it. I have a barely used on sitting here if you're interested. Works great.