I checked my door AFTER I was almost certain it came from the video, because I assumed with how loud they knocked it was the police or something, and I wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn't getting swatted or something.
Lol wtf at the beginning of the video when someone knocks on the door I paused the vid, got up and looked into the next room bc I thought someone was there knocking on the wall
Holy moly, thanks so much for making this video. I've spent so long in the endless crusade to dispel myths regarding virtual surround and now I can just link people this video and save myself typing another essay every time.
Amazing video. As an audiophile it bothers me that Audio is not as attended as Graphics in videogame industry, this not only aplyes to Binaural Audio but also to mixing, dynamic range, etc. I have been playing PUBG with my home theater and I was amazed at how well done the mixing is and how good is the dynamic range, it feels like I am in the middle of the map in reality. One issue I have with games also is the surround virtualization of Stereo speakers. I remember for example that Halo Reach in xbox 360 (and my tv) had some surround feature that allowed me to hear front/rear audio information with just 2 stereo speakers, and now with the newer MCC edition this is absent, hopefuly more developers can tak more attention to this.
Great video. I've been using my Sennheiser PC 373D playing PUBG for over 3 months now and couldn't figure out how people could pinpoint my position so quick when I fired at them since I had no chance to do so myself. Turns out the Sennheiser PC 373D gives you two output devices in Windows ("Headset Earphones" and "Speakers") and I had been using the Headset Earphones device the entire time which you cannot set to surround (Configure is greyed out). Changed the default output device to Speakers and set them to 7.1 and it's like night and day, thanks!
Ooh thanks i have the exact same headset and im glad i got lucky to see someone else with it. Do you use the Sennheiser software with dolby sound activated or no?
I picked up Razer Surround and now I can use any HPs as 7.1, it's a drastic difference in game now I can tell when people are moving up and down stairs in nearby buildings and I can track where sniper shots are coming from. Now if only I could get a 'don't suck' plugin I'd be set!
I heard the knock at the beginning checked my front door no one was there, then i swear I heard the knocking again. I checked the door and it was Jehovah’s Witness going door to door, why didn’t I just check the peep hole I don’t even know, but I turned on Dolby atmos and stereo uncompressed, stereo actually gave me a better sense of direction. Thanks for this video!
PUBG just released an update that added real binaural audio into the game. You should cover it in a new video, as it probably sounds a thousand times better than fake virtual surround due to using the real 3D positional audio cues from the engine.
Thank you very much for this video Chris! I immediately returned my newly bought "surround" headset after I found out that my studio headset can work just fine with the proper software (HeSuVi). Virtual surround with a good studio headset sounds way better than all "surround" gaming headsets out there.
Here's a tip: you can manually force the install of Logitech's audio drivers for G430, which comes with Logitech Gaming Software, on basically ANY other USB audio interface/sound card and get 7.1 option that you see on 11:55 - even if your USB sound card is cheap as hell and offers only stereo. You just need to manually update the drivers in Windows for your sound card and select the inf file available in C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\Drivers\USBAudio\lgAudio.inf while unchecking "compatible hardware". It will work after reboot. you won't be able to use LGS software to apply the 7.1 virtualization effect, but you can do that with Hesuvi + Equalizer APO(which is what he mentions by the end of the video - you should search for Hesuvi on Google).
Do you have like a tutorial for this, i'd love to try this out ./edit when i try and install new drivers for my USB headset and even unchecking compatibele drivers. It says it needs 64bit compatibele drivers. I have HS70 corsair wireless headset, but i cant install the Logitech drivers
June 2024 here, and i wonder if PUBG still has the same Problems like in this Video, or isit better by now? I got massive Soundproblems on Pubg, and i would love to find a SOlution.
Thank you for the most informative video on surround Virtualization and Binaural Audio. Especially that you covered windows Sonics for headphones and Virtual Solutions for Surround Amplifiers. but I wish you reviewed Windows 10 Dolby Atmos for headphones too
So I consider myself a pretty tough and intelligent guy...It's after 11pm...my apartment is on the 2nd floor and the bottom gate is locked... I have 2 guard dogs that didn't bark. FIRST I almost had a heart attack... then I screamed to scare whoever it was that was CRAZY enough to climb up to the 2nd floor and bang on my door... When I realized it was the video... NO JOKE I stumbled in the bedroom and woke my wife up to give me a hug... just in case my heart stopped. Then I laughed on the bed for about 4mins. That was insane! Then I watched again... and I jumped again. LOL
So at 3:30 for the direction tests I was easily able to tell the two "impossible" ones then when you applied the filter I got it wrong and it sounds completely backwards, using speakers though.
No silly, you weren't "able to tell" for the pure stereo panning. You thought you were able to tell. It is a literal mathematical fact that they are literally the same sound, so you were deluding yourself.
Can anybody help me how to setup my Hyperx Cloud II to my Voicemeeter Banana? Everytime I use the voicemeeter banana the 7.1 Surround sound of my Hyperx Cloud II is gone. It's just pure Stereo that I'm hearing. Anybody knows how to fix this? :( :( :( :(
Have you found any fix yet bro? And is a sound card necessary for a laptop to use this headphone? Because right now i can't feel any difference between these headsets and regular ones
WOW... amazing work... this video is what i was searching for so long... now i know why SBX on my SBz actually works in PUBG although everybody says its just supporting 2.0... i knew i can trust my ears... So PUBG is using 6 channels out of 7.1 (no front center and no sub channel)... my soundblaster z only can manage 5.1 input in the windows settings... so do i miss some directional information here because of fewer channels? would i benefit from installing voicemeeter to have true 7.1 input which hesuvi can transform somehow better to binaural stereo then the 5.1 input? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR VIDEO!!!!
7.1 doesn't contain any extra spatial data over 5.1, because extra channels are just directly left and directly right. And sound source directly left has same signal in both front&rear left channels and its position is recorded perfectly. That's assuming game's sound renderer does its job. Microsoft really screwed PC gamers to butt by killing DirectSound. Guess they were determined to dumb down also PC game sounds to console level...
Ok so when using sbx with headphones you have to change the output on the car to headphones (in the case of the z and ae-5 that have dedicated headphone outputs. So what do you select in game then to make sure the synthetic 7.1 is functioning correctly? Headphone or surround? I get confused on this because the SB surround can also take stereo and upmix it to surround and does a decent job but are you also supposed to use the SB surround to take surround and downmix it to stereo (artificial surround) or do you change the game setting to headphone and use the sbx? Really miss the days of simple true 3D audio where you know what settings actually did what.
In Creative sound card's with separate headphone output you have to select headphones in control panels to switch output from line outputs to it. X-Fi Titanium HD was exception with physical switch in headphone output disconnecting line out and switching signal to headphone output. (software settings didn't affect physical output connector choise) Even if having own actual audio settings (most not) games default to channel configuration of Windows playback settings. That needs to be configured for surround/5.1/7.1 Choosing headphones in Creative's control panel and enabling surround should actually automatically set that channel configuration. But with the way Wintoys works better check that. And of course after installing game it's always good to check that game's settings are right. Then it's up to game to produce good 5.1 sound as source for binaural sound simulation. Which isn't big hope considering how low sounds are in priority of developers...
This video is great man!! I really liked what u did here. I want to buy a set of 7.1 headsets and I've studied sound engineering so I know for a fact that is possible to know where the sound in coming from with just a couple of headphones, but the thing is that the companies are so busy showing you how to configure the LEDs light on your headphone instead of explaining the science behind the tech they sell. Im gonna see your video again so I get all the details right, but what would be your advice for me? I am gonna buy a set anyway because I don't have any (I need the mic for starters) which company has the best virtualizationsoftware in your opinion?? We need more people like u man, sciencing the shit out of evertything!!
My recommendation for a headset with surround virtualization is the G433. I don't think its surround virtualization is the most convincing out of all the solutions offered, but it does normal headphone things much better than other headsets I've tried. Sound quality, comfort, and build quality seem much better than the headsets I've tried from Razer and Steelseries. Plus Logitech's driver solution is smarter, which will allow its 7.1 virtualization to work with more games (PUBG included). If you're happy with your current pair of headphones but just want to try out surround virtualization check out HeSuVi. HeSuVi contains the measured HRTFs from different vendors' surround virtualization and applies one of the user's selection to general surround sound streams. This is the method I prefer because it allows me to use my existing traditional headphones and mic without issue. I find the Sennheiser GSX virtualization to the most effective, which is a virtualization available on their GSX sound cards.
Hey man, thanks for the answer. I think I'm gonna go with the G433, I´ve been looking for other options but could not find any in the same price range. I'm more concerned with the virtualization aspect of the headset and Logitech, in the only brand that talks more into deep about their 7.1 virtualization tech (DTS headphone: x). What would it be a better virtualization?? Pd: ive tried hesuvi and I got a hard time distinguishing the sounds coming from behind. ThX!
thy you very much for those insides. I was trying to get the best of PUBG and was going nuts. I have a G930, ab SB-Z/DT770 and an old 5.1 Medusa. I wasn't sure what the best setup for best directinal sound is. I even bought so cheap binaural headphones for a GoPro for 20 Bucks which could be resoldered to 3,5 jack but the effing SB-Z doesn't support stereo microphones - wtf. Anyway I will go with SB-z and virtual surround as the ne HRTF doesn't seem to work correctly for shots and it even looks like the screwed up footsteps. thx for the insights
Dear @Chris Cook, thanks for such an elaborate video! I would like a follow up question answered: :-) Now that PUBG has listened to your request and included "HRTF" as a tickbox option under Sound settings in the game, would it ever make sense to ALSO use Windows Sonic, paired with a headphone speaker setup of 7.1? Or would that be asking for trouble? Also, the software you used to display the output audio channels from PUBG (6 tracks), can you tell me the name of this, and how I would go about using that in the same way to test? Best regards, Mikkel
You only ever want one HRTF working at a time. If you use a game's built-in HRTF, you should absolutely ensure any surround virtualizer external to the game is disabled. Likewise, if you prefer your external surround virtualizer, you should disable in-game HRTF. Windows Sonic for Headphones is smart enough to disable itself when the audio source is only producing two channels, so you generally don't have to worry about toggling it on and off since it disables itself in cases where it will do no good. The software I used to record audio is Reaper. I believe I used Voicemeeter to transport audio from PUBG to Reaper.
@@cheese_thief hey there, just curious what your thoughts are about a game like Valorant (mixed in stereo, no HRTF I believe) being paired with a headset + DTS Headphone: X for virtual surround sound? I ask because I gave DTSH:X a spin when I saw it has a 7 day free trial and I am completely blown away by the accuracy of the simulated surround sound... But when I went to reddit to share what I thought was an awesome, immersive, and free (temporarily at least) piece of software to help people determine where their enemies are coming from, I got CRUCIFIED. It was so bad that I'm actually questioning my sanity. To me, it's night and day different. But to everyone that roasted me on the subreddit, this software is a joke, does nothing, etc. I don't think many of them actually tried it, honestly. But maybe it's some kind of placebo effect and I don't ACTUALLY hear a difference when I swap between 2.0 stereo and 360 degree DTSH:X? Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the cool video
I'm partial to Logitech's G433 and G533 headsets. They isolate well, they're comfortable, and their surround virtualizer works with PUBG. The same can't be said of a lot of other gaming headsets.
Dude why you disappeared like that? You should create a patron channel and do your research there and later post it here. Im trying to get the best sound in Valorant (That now apply the HRTF) in my HD 599. I have Voicemeter Potato, but everything sounds like the same (Steps forward and backward) exactly as you explained in this video. So why you left? I need you, do research about this stuff :(
Hi Chris, thanks for this video. If it a game does support hrtf, for example, uses the new steam audio. Would it be best to have the surround emulation options in your sound card turned off? thats correct right, you would only want the surround turned on if the game actually had a proper surround mix (like your pug example..) Very informative! Cheers!
Weird, pertaining to your sound tests starting at 2:40, your statements are correct for my Razer Kraken 7.1 V2's, but are the opposite for my sony XB950B1's O.o
Great video thank you! Quick question, want to ensure I set this up correctly. I had A40 + Mixamp TR plugged in VIA USB. After watching your video I disconnected the Mixamp TR and plugged my headphones directly into the computer using 3.5mm jack. I went to the sound settings and configured the "speakers" for 7.1 surround with windows sonic virtual surround sound. Have I set the up correctly? I tried it out a few games and directional sound did seem better, however I had no way of adjusting the volume.
Hello...Maybt it is time to revisit this. My biggest question is with Arctis Pro + GameDAC. Is set to Hi-Res option. And then set HRTF on in PUBG. I got that much. Should I also employ or set DTS:X or Dolby ATMOS in windows or are they useless except for supported programs?
hi. nice video and very educational.. but i don't understand much, only the sound examples. i was very crazy about get real positional sound with my stereo HP Omen 800 headset. is something unique experience. can you do the video in spanish? pls. maybe you can add spanish subs and translate all the text in screen and explain. thank you men. this video blows my mind. this will be very useful and important por eSports gaming. i suscribed and like. greetings from Chile.
Loved the video, informational but easy to follow. However, with recent updates to sounds in PUBG, are the methods for virtual surround outlined here still recommended (vs in game default)?
I guess that is why my friend who is using g430 can hear footsteps 1-2 seconds before me, also his sounds are more clear. Whenever there are people shooting close and there are alot of noises he could still hear enemies. I tried enablig 7.1 and using with my steelseries headsett, but it didnt make any difference. Ordered g432 a week ago.
hey, does it still show up as a 'native' 7.1 audio device in the configure options? I heard some windows updates messed up where only stereo is availaible?
Binaural sound has specific lot harder than any stereo music requirements. So your headphones might simply be bad. Also if shape/size of your head and ears differs lot from average then your brain would require similarly differing binaural cues.
I wish there was a way to make it work on Mac running PUBG via NVIDIA GeForce Now :/ - I also don't get why Stereo Headphones aren't sufficient for 7.1, all I want is Binaural and stereo is more than enough for it, so why the need for Surround Headphones? :/
i watched the entire video and its very informative but I'm dumb. Can you please explain to me in simpleton terms if this applies to rainbow six and what should i do now P.S I have razer Man O' War headset
Great video! Can you give us xbox users any tips? I've recently tried: Plantronics RIG 800LX (prefer sonic over atmos): most comfortable and sound is... meh Razer Thresher (sonic): Pretty nice, totally wireless on xbox but sound is .. meh My DT880's with a SoundBlaster G5 as an amp and my 2008 astro for mixing... Just let me know how horrible pubg sound is.. And finally, there was only one setup where I could hear direction well.. LucidSound LS40.. the 7.1 was broken so I used windows sonic and/or stereo... they had a built-in EQ called "stereo wide". with stereo wide enabled suddenly I could tell both location and distance of any footsteps around me. Like CS 1.6 days. I don't have any idea how to get this out of any other setup on xbox so far... maybe it's magic that the usb dongle does in conjunction with that EQ but I confirmed I could hear footsteps further and more accurately than my squad mades with other great audio setups.
Trent Chance I'm curious about your g5 setup. It's what I currently use. What settings would you recommend? Currently I have it on stereo with scout mode on. I don't think it's the best and always looking to improve. Would love to get it close to how you said your lucid set up is.
PLyRUnKn0WNS You may think I'm crazy but since that time I've had multiple versions of the astro... several headphones (AKG 7XX, Fidelio X2, DT770, AKG 712, Lucids.. again) a presonus audio board... tube amp.. hybrid amp etc. Where I'm finally pretty happy is this: DAC: Mayflower Arc (but could use anything decent and cheaper) Mixer: Behringer $60 mixer from amazon Astro TR: Sending Chat audio out of the stream port to my mixer Presonus Compressor: Cause pubg was blowing my ears out... Had an RNC1733 that was WAY nicer Headphone Amp: Schiit Vali 2 (Hybrid solid state / tube amp) The great thing about the Fidelio X2's is they run great streat out of the astro if I want to simplify things.. and get even better out of the Vali2. But this setup allows me to EQ the annoyingness out of PubG and keep the AR's from making my ears bleed.
OMG, what you went through is exactly what I went through. Lots of headphones, mixers, and mixamps and etc. I did like the EQ of the mixers but the wires where just overwhelming for desktop gaming. I ended up with the g5 after all this because I liked the cleanliness of the setup. Currently I'm using the G5 (EQ custom settings I found great for pubg + DSS2 ). For headphones I have the hd600 and HE350. Both great for fps gaming.
PLyRUnKn0WNS well good there's at least one person out there as crazy as I am about this stuff lol. Glad you found a happy place. I'm still going to try the Lucid LS35x when they finally come out in the fall.
Yes that usb "dongle" seems to be doing the magic. A friend of mine who has g430 headsett uses it and says without it he cant hear footsteps well. Also i can confirm he can hear footsteps atleast 1 sec before, cuz he is always giving me the directions and after a second or two i can hear it too.
GREAT video! I was just wondering myself since I got my own DAC recently. However i am running Voicemeeter but running the audio out through another DAC (FiiO E10K). My question is if I set the voicemeeter or Virtual audio cable to 7.1 like you do, will i still receive the benefit or do i need to download the virtualization? My headphones are a pair of ATH - m30x. My thoughts are it shouldn't affect much because the the default is set to voicemeeter. Would that be right? Thank you so much again for the video!
I have my heaphones hooked into astro mixamp. Theres a button to give surround. Should i just use that or will that give me Binaural audio. Any ideas? please help. I'm using a sennheiser hd598 open back
Hey, awesome vid! Today I bought a Cloud II which has a built in sound driver. It was set as default device, no enhancement, no spatial sound, just pure 7.1 ...but the directional sound is just awful. A guy was shooting me 10 meters away and I still cant tell where he is coming from, as opposed to my 5 year old $8 stereo headset which interacts with my realtek hd sound. How do I get the 7.1 to work? I can get the realtek update for my motherboard, but is it really gonna help? AFAIK Cloud II sound driver/card is all I need. Plus, I really have slow internet for download. Help ;(
what game is the first shooter you showed us?? the sounds are crazy good! holy sh!t i can't wait for when they implement this in racing games and battlefield :DDDD
Enabling spatial sound on a playback device in the Windows mixer will force that device into a stereo configuration. This precludes PUBG from ever providing a 7.1 signal directly to that device. What you can do is use Virtual Audio Cable (software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm) as a virtual 7.1 playback device which pipes to your actual spatial sound-enabled playback device, but this is a high latency approach.
Is it still grayed out when 7.1 mode is enabled? If it is, you'll have to use the Voicemeeter workaround to get surround virtualization to work with PUBG.
Ok so I have Voicemeeter Banana installed, Hesuvi installed, GSX chosen. Voicemeeter output set to 7.1, do I need to do anything else? I'm not understanding how 7.1 on = binaural audio A full tutorial would be nice Like how do I downmix to binaural stereo
I was using Razer Electra V2 while watching this and when I heard the banging, I literally looked at my right wall to know how possible they can make that bang with a concrete wall... Hahaha good one Razer..
Hello Chris, I got a Asus STX2 Soundcard and Hyper X CLoud Alpha...(thinking of to buy a new headset, had this beyerdynamic 770pro in mind). I used hetuvi to set my soundcard to 7.1. Also in windows. In the asus software i use 2 channels (think that this is correct) but i cannot really feel a difference. Maybe I did something wrong? Can you or someone who understand how to setup this give me an advice? thanks alot
I've got a question that requires some clarification. I've been using the logitech h390 (stereo) on my pc , casually playing the game. I had absolutely no issues calling out sound locations and would often be the first to mention footprints and accurately locate the positioning of the enemy. Come a year later my pads are flaking and dig the g35 out of the dust. Installed it and windows natively detects the 7.1... I play the game and i have an extremely tough time locating enemy and hearing subtle steps... my calls are not accurate anymore. I turn LGS 7.1 virt. on as well and the experience is even worse. I uninstall the logitech registry and have windows identify the the g35 as native stereo and its even more terrible. Then i pop out my reference headphones, the Focal Spirit Pros, and I instantly have better positioning (stereo) but not as great as the 390 and they're not comfortable headphones tbh..... Long story short what should i do? Give up on the g35? give up on 7.1 and focus on stereo headsets? If I do I completely eliminate all gaming headsets on the market. please advise
Binaural sound has specific lot more demanding than any stereo music requirements to truly work. Closed design is huge challenge/drag to even traditional audio makers and only few closed headphones can match binaural soundstage of good open headphones. And those Focal Spirits are very typical bass heavy fashion cans with clear problems in upper mids and treble. Beyerdynamic DT770 should have very decent soundstage for closed can of its price. But if having quiet environment open headphones like Beyer's DT990 are better. That bigger soundstage has also room for some above neutral bass without it instantly starting to drown details badly. Combine big binaural soundstage open headphones and sound card with binaural sound simulation and besides direction there's also sense of distance if game has good audio rendered. While with closed design gaming garbages that same signal can sound like having "head in bucket under water" with zero sense of distances. Besides nowadays very good audio components in its latest sound cards Creative also has good algorithms. For example old Dolby Headphone of Asus Xonars (and now many gaming garbage headphones) is seriously overhyped. It's just ridiculous how people keep paying huge sums from graphics cards which rarely stay technically high end more than couple years. While less than half the price of one high end graphics cards would get top level sound card and actually good headphones giving return for money for lot longer time.
I have the hyper x cloud II's. The configure tab is grayed out for me. However, I am able to go into properties->spacial sound-> enable windows sonic for headphones, then I can check a box to turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound. Is this the same thing? Do I just enable 7.1 and then also click the 7.1 button on my headphones to enable it?
I was wondering if this binerial audio still makes sense since the new patch? Also if it is still reliable, do I still have to use 7.1 in Windows since I can setup the 3d sound in PUBG itselfs? Or should I keep it in PUBG on Stereo? If you dont mind I really would like to contact you for a few more question. Of course I want to reward you for spending time on this...
As a G933 user, I'm also curious about this. Especially if I should just enable it in the windows settings, or also in the Logitech Gaming Software (which gives me the option to choose between Dolby and DTS).
PUBG themselves no idea what they are supporting or not, if you want the real deal just search what UE4 support, and since UE4 support 5.1 or 7.1 then yeah PUBG support it too. its big shame to see such game with such low expertise of developers is more popular than real gem games out there.
Can someone try an help me? Using my headphones I couldn't tell at ALL which direction the sphere was moving at 3:29. I have a sharkoon X-tatic headset and Xonar Dg Amp 5.1 Sound Card and I use the Xonar audio center for software. I'm clueless when it comes to audio and I don't know what anything really means in the audio center to begin with and I really want to have directional hearing capabilities in games like PUBG, can anyone help me?
I'm a noob at sound stuff but in the video he mentions that since everyone has a different head shape, some HRTFs don't work as well for some people. Do you have an unusual head shape? (Not trying to be insulting). It's possible that the HRTF that Unity (the engine Chris Cook used to generate the virtual binaural recording) uses doesn't work well with your head shape because for you, moving sounds change differently compared to other people.
sorry im not so great with this stuff anyone here able to tell me if i am getting the best surround sound with my razer man o war and razer surround? or do i need some other stuff for it to work better sometimes my audio doesnt feel right
It's a simple Unity scene I made. Unity has a built-in capability for binaural sound, called "spatialized" in Unity parlance. The specific HRTF provider used is Microsoft's, which is included in Windows 10.
you can buy dolby atmos or use sonic for free www.windowscentral.com/xbox-one-dolby-atmos-vs-windows-sonic atmos has week trial so you can switch and test both and pick which sounds the best
I have the option to run 7.1 through my GSX 1000 Amp. Will Pubg still recognize that as 7.1? I use Audio Technica AD500x and do not use gaming headsets because I find the sound better in actual headphones.
Sennheiser GSX need configuring Windows Playback settings to 7.1 manually. Though while its binaural sound simulation algorithm is definitely up there with Creative's algorithms rest of GSX is at overpriced gaming garbage level. It uses cheap ass Conexant CX20745 DAC/output buffer chip meant for phones/tablets: www.head-fi.org/f/threads/sennheiser-gsx-1000-1200-impressions.824923/page-30#post-13504383 Budget level Audigy Fx/Xonar DGX have literally better DACs and its headphone output isn't any stronger than those integrated Realtek. Lot cheaper Creative sound cards have top level DAC and headphone output strong enough for almost any headphone. Sennheiser simply smelled how easy gamers are to fool by bling bling decorating cheap basic stuff. Just like "gaming" headphones... Closed design in general is bad thing for binaural sound and overpriced Chinese excrement gaming garbages even worser. ATH-AD500/700 are certainly among best headphones for gaming like AKGs, though in overall immersion suffer from below neutral bass.
The knock at the door scared the shit out of me
SAME
even tho my door is on the left not to the right but now i think of it souned like the window
I checked my door AFTER I was almost certain it came from the video, because I assumed with how loud they knocked it was the police or something, and I wanted to be absolutely sure I wasn't getting swatted or something.
dude, same, i opened my window and checked outside :P
Same, I sit directly next to a window and I jumped so bad thinking someone was knocking on my window
Lol wtf at the beginning of the video when someone knocks on the door I paused the vid, got up and looked into the next room bc I thought someone was there knocking on the wall
yeah. Just happened to me. Scared the shit out of me!
dude i legit thought someone knocked on my door and looked and i was like wtf didnt know it was the vid
shit, I seriously thought someone was banging on my 5th storey high window.
SAME HAHAHHAHAH HOLY MOLY
men so crazy.. my window was to my right so i was like.. how can this be even possible.
The one with the clockwise and counterclockwise rotation thing was easy. I don't know what you're talking about
Holy moly, thanks so much for making this video.
I've spent so long in the endless crusade to dispel myths regarding virtual surround and now I can just link people this video and save myself typing another essay every time.
Amazing video. As an audiophile it bothers me that Audio is not as attended as Graphics in videogame industry, this not only aplyes to Binaural Audio but also to mixing, dynamic range, etc.
I have been playing PUBG with my home theater and I was amazed at how well done the mixing is and how good is the dynamic range, it feels like I am in the middle of the map in reality.
One issue I have with games also is the surround virtualization of Stereo speakers. I remember for example that Halo Reach in xbox 360 (and my tv) had some surround feature that allowed me to hear front/rear audio information with just 2 stereo speakers, and now with the newer MCC edition this is absent, hopefuly more developers can tak more attention to this.
Great video. I've been using my Sennheiser PC 373D playing PUBG for over 3 months now and couldn't figure out how people could pinpoint my position so quick when I fired at them since I had no chance to do so myself. Turns out the Sennheiser PC 373D gives you two output devices in Windows ("Headset Earphones" and "Speakers") and I had been using the Headset Earphones device the entire time which you cannot set to surround (Configure is greyed out). Changed the default output device to Speakers and set them to 7.1 and it's like night and day, thanks!
Ooh thanks i have the exact same headset and im glad i got lucky to see someone else with it. Do you use the Sennheiser software with dolby sound activated or no?
Hey man, glad I could be of help. I prefer having the Dolby setting set to off.
I picked up Razer Surround and now I can use any HPs as 7.1, it's a drastic difference in game now I can tell when people are moving up and down stairs in nearby buildings and I can track where sniper shots are coming from. Now if only I could get a 'don't suck' plugin I'd be set!
Chris. This is the type of video that is a classic youtube layout. Really awesome.
everything is amazing for me, but the up and down, like the circle all around me but not to the sides, sounds exactly the same
I heard the knock at the beginning checked my front door no one was there, then i swear I heard the knocking again. I checked the door and it was Jehovah’s Witness going door to door, why didn’t I just check the peep hole I don’t even know, but I turned on Dolby atmos and stereo uncompressed, stereo actually gave me a better sense of direction. Thanks for this video!
was able to setup voicemeter as 7.1 device that improved sound quality in PUBG dramatically
Also help to have headphones with a good soundstage.
AKG712 Pro and a HD558.
I can watch this video all day.
Awesome! I wish you would continue this video as a series about audio/binaural audio/ surround sound in general. :) Keep it up!
PUBG just released an update that added real binaural audio into the game. You should cover it in a new video, as it probably sounds a thousand times better than fake virtual surround due to using the real 3D positional audio cues from the engine.
I tested it.. i think it only works for the gunfire sounds, not the footsteps.. I tried it with Windows Sonic on and off.. I prefer on.. IMO
It's still using the speaker panning configuration instead of headphones, so although it's better, it's still outputting wrong.
a hidden info gem, thank you for making this video and spinning me right round
Thank you very much for this video Chris! I immediately returned my newly bought "surround" headset after I found out that my studio headset can work just fine with the proper software (HeSuVi). Virtual surround with a good studio headset sounds way better than all "surround" gaming headsets out there.
Here's a tip: you can manually force the install of Logitech's audio drivers for G430, which comes with Logitech Gaming Software, on basically ANY other USB audio interface/sound card and get 7.1 option that you see on 11:55 - even if your USB sound card is cheap as hell and offers only stereo. You just need to manually update the drivers in Windows for your sound card and select the inf file available in C:\Program Files\Logitech Gaming Software\Drivers\USBAudio\lgAudio.inf while unchecking "compatible hardware". It will work after reboot. you won't be able to use LGS software to apply the 7.1 virtualization effect, but you can do that with Hesuvi + Equalizer APO(which is what he mentions by the end of the video - you should search for Hesuvi on Google).
Do you have like a tutorial for this, i'd love to try this out ./edit when i try and install new drivers for my USB headset and even unchecking compatibele drivers. It says it needs 64bit compatibele drivers. I have HS70 corsair wireless headset, but i cant install the Logitech drivers
The knock on the door almost knocked me out.
Amazing video dude, very informative and professionally presented.
PUBG still doesn't improve the positional audio:( they just put HRTF in the game but i think can be better.
June 2024 here, and i wonder if PUBG still has the same Problems like in this Video, or isit better by now? I got massive Soundproblems on Pubg, and i would love to find a SOlution.
Great video, very informative.
Thank you for the most informative video on surround Virtualization and Binaural Audio. Especially that you covered windows Sonics for headphones and Virtual Solutions for Surround Amplifiers. but I wish you reviewed Windows 10 Dolby Atmos for headphones too
2:51 - right round, right round
The knock on the door nearly gave me a heart attack.. Tbh it was 3am at my room
The knock at the door scared the shit out of me fuck man
Could you make a tutorial or share more detailed information how you used the specializer?
So I consider myself a pretty tough and intelligent guy...It's after 11pm...my apartment is on the 2nd floor and the bottom gate is locked... I have 2 guard dogs that didn't bark. FIRST I almost had a heart attack... then I screamed to scare whoever it was that was CRAZY enough to climb up to the 2nd floor and bang on my door... When I realized it was the video... NO JOKE I stumbled in the bedroom and woke my wife up to give me a hug... just in case my heart stopped. Then I laughed on the bed for about 4mins. That was insane! Then I watched again... and I jumped again. LOL
So at 3:30 for the direction tests I was easily able to tell the two "impossible" ones then when you applied the filter I got it wrong and it sounds completely backwards, using speakers though.
No silly, you weren't "able to tell" for the pure stereo panning. You thought you were able to tell. It is a literal mathematical fact that they are literally the same sound, so you were deluding yourself.
my ears blurred out with these information. However, nice videos :)
This method works, but the sound quality is awful!
this video is top notch. really great
Can anybody help me how to setup my Hyperx Cloud II to my Voicemeeter Banana? Everytime I use the voicemeeter banana the 7.1 Surround sound of my Hyperx Cloud II is gone. It's just pure Stereo that I'm hearing. Anybody knows how to fix this? :( :( :( :(
Have you found any fix yet bro? And is a sound card necessary for a laptop to use this headphone? Because right now i can't feel any difference between these headsets and regular ones
Awesome work man, thanks for this video.
THE FUCKING KNOCK AT THE BEGINNING GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK
Bro, I was sitting in front of my window with my back to my window and the knock scared the shit out of me.
That knock scared me
WOW... amazing work... this video is what i was searching for so long... now i know why SBX on my SBz actually works in PUBG although everybody says its just supporting 2.0... i knew i can trust my ears... So PUBG is using 6 channels out of 7.1 (no front center and no sub channel)... my soundblaster z only can manage 5.1 input in the windows settings... so do i miss some directional information here because of fewer channels? would i benefit from installing voicemeeter to have true 7.1 input which hesuvi can transform somehow better to binaural stereo then the 5.1 input? THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR VIDEO!!!!
PUBG also supports 5.1 without any dead zones. You should be fine using the Soundblaster's built-in virtualization.
Chris Cook thx for your reply... tested it already and positioning in pubg definetly benefits from 7.1 over 5.1...
7.1 doesn't contain any extra spatial data over 5.1, because extra channels are just directly left and directly right.
And sound source directly left has same signal in both front&rear left channels and its position is recorded perfectly.
That's assuming game's sound renderer does its job.
Microsoft really screwed PC gamers to butt by killing DirectSound.
Guess they were determined to dumb down also PC game sounds to console level...
Ok so when using sbx with headphones you have to change the output on the car to headphones (in the case of the z and ae-5 that have dedicated headphone outputs. So what do you select in game then to make sure the synthetic 7.1 is functioning correctly? Headphone or surround? I get confused on this because the SB surround can also take stereo and upmix it to surround and does a decent job but are you also supposed to use the SB surround to take surround and downmix it to stereo (artificial surround) or do you change the game setting to headphone and use the sbx? Really miss the days of simple true 3D audio where you know what settings actually did what.
In Creative sound card's with separate headphone output you have to select headphones in control panels to switch output from line outputs to it.
X-Fi Titanium HD was exception with physical switch in headphone output disconnecting line out and switching signal to headphone output.
(software settings didn't affect physical output connector choise)
Even if having own actual audio settings (most not) games default to channel configuration of Windows playback settings.
That needs to be configured for surround/5.1/7.1
Choosing headphones in Creative's control panel and enabling surround should actually automatically set that channel configuration.
But with the way Wintoys works better check that.
And of course after installing game it's always good to check that game's settings are right.
Then it's up to game to produce good 5.1 sound as source for binaural sound simulation.
Which isn't big hope considering how low sounds are in priority of developers...
Shouldn't have to go through all this but if i don't, i'm going to blow my eardrums.
If Im using my headphone for PUBG through spdif (optical), its naturally stereo isnt it?
Really nice informational video. Thanks for putting this together.
This video is great man!! I really liked what u did here. I want to buy a set of 7.1 headsets and I've studied sound engineering so I know for a fact that is possible to know where the sound in coming from with just a couple of headphones, but the thing is that the companies are so busy showing you how to configure the LEDs light on your headphone instead of explaining the science behind the tech they sell. Im gonna see your video again so I get all the details right, but what would be your advice for me? I am gonna buy a set anyway because I don't have any (I need the mic for starters) which company has the best virtualizationsoftware in your opinion??
We need more people like u man, sciencing the shit out of evertything!!
My recommendation for a headset with surround virtualization is the G433. I don't think its surround virtualization is the most convincing out of all the solutions offered, but it does normal headphone things much better than other headsets I've tried. Sound quality, comfort, and build quality seem much better than the headsets I've tried from Razer and Steelseries. Plus Logitech's driver solution is smarter, which will allow its 7.1 virtualization to work with more games (PUBG included).
If you're happy with your current pair of headphones but just want to try out surround virtualization check out HeSuVi. HeSuVi contains the measured HRTFs from different vendors' surround virtualization and applies one of the user's selection to general surround sound streams. This is the method I prefer because it allows me to use my existing traditional headphones and mic without issue. I find the Sennheiser GSX virtualization to the most effective, which is a virtualization available on their GSX sound cards.
Hey man, thanks for the answer. I think I'm gonna go with the G433, I´ve been looking for other options but could not find any in the same price range. I'm more concerned with the virtualization aspect of the headset and Logitech, in the only brand that talks more into deep about their 7.1 virtualization tech (DTS headphone: x). What would it be a better virtualization?? Pd: ive tried hesuvi and I got a hard time distinguishing the sounds coming from behind. ThX!
The knocking got me 😱
thy you very much for those insides. I was trying to get the best of PUBG and was going nuts. I have a G930, ab SB-Z/DT770 and an old 5.1 Medusa. I wasn't sure what the best setup for best directinal sound is. I even bought so cheap binaural headphones for a GoPro for 20 Bucks which could be resoldered to 3,5 jack but the effing SB-Z doesn't support stereo microphones - wtf.
Anyway I will go with SB-z and virtual surround as the ne HRTF doesn't seem to work correctly for shots and it even looks like the screwed up footsteps.
thx for the insights
How do you get Reaper to show individual tracks? I want to test audio output for another game? Thanks
Dear @Chris Cook, thanks for such an elaborate video! I would like a follow up question answered: :-)
Now that PUBG has listened to your request and included "HRTF" as a tickbox option under Sound settings in the game, would it ever make sense to ALSO use Windows Sonic, paired with a headphone speaker setup of 7.1? Or would that be asking for trouble?
Also, the software you used to display the output audio channels from PUBG (6 tracks), can you tell me the name of this, and how I would go about using that in the same way to test?
Best regards, Mikkel
You only ever want one HRTF working at a time. If you use a game's built-in HRTF, you should absolutely ensure any surround virtualizer external to the game is disabled. Likewise, if you prefer your external surround virtualizer, you should disable in-game HRTF. Windows Sonic for Headphones is smart enough to disable itself when the audio source is only producing two channels, so you generally don't have to worry about toggling it on and off since it disables itself in cases where it will do no good.
The software I used to record audio is Reaper. I believe I used Voicemeeter to transport audio from PUBG to Reaper.
@@cheese_thief hey there, just curious what your thoughts are about a game like Valorant (mixed in stereo, no HRTF I believe) being paired with a headset + DTS Headphone: X for virtual surround sound?
I ask because I gave DTSH:X a spin when I saw it has a 7 day free trial and I am completely blown away by the accuracy of the simulated surround sound... But when I went to reddit to share what I thought was an awesome, immersive, and free (temporarily at least) piece of software to help people determine where their enemies are coming from, I got CRUCIFIED. It was so bad that I'm actually questioning my sanity.
To me, it's night and day different. But to everyone that roasted me on the subreddit, this software is a joke, does nothing, etc.
I don't think many of them actually tried it, honestly. But maybe it's some kind of placebo effect and I don't ACTUALLY hear a difference when I swap between 2.0 stereo and 360 degree DTSH:X?
Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for the cool video
2:48, really easy to get the direction of movement, not really hard or impossible. Ha!
Painkiller has HRTF. 2004
Excellent information. Curious on recommendations for gaming headphones.
I'm partial to Logitech's G433 and G533 headsets. They isolate well, they're comfortable, and their surround virtualizer works with PUBG. The same can't be said of a lot of other gaming headsets.
Chris PUBG has added HRTF. Any reason to use the surround tricks still?
Dude why you disappeared like that? You should create a patron channel and do your research there and later post it here.
Im trying to get the best sound in Valorant (That now apply the HRTF) in my HD 599. I have Voicemeter Potato, but everything sounds like the same (Steps forward and backward) exactly as you explained in this video.
So why you left? I need you, do research about this stuff :(
Hi Chris, thanks for this video. If it a game does support hrtf, for example, uses the new steam audio. Would it be best to have the surround emulation options in your sound card turned off? thats correct right, you would only want the surround turned on if the game actually had a proper surround mix (like your pug example..)
Very informative!
Cheers!
Can't hear the difference between front and back :(
Weird, pertaining to your sound tests starting at 2:40, your statements are correct for my Razer Kraken 7.1 V2's, but are the opposite for my sony XB950B1's O.o
Great video thank you! Quick question, want to ensure I set this up correctly. I had A40 + Mixamp TR plugged in VIA USB. After watching your video I disconnected the Mixamp TR and plugged my headphones directly into the computer using 3.5mm jack. I went to the sound settings and configured the "speakers" for 7.1 surround with windows sonic virtual surround sound. Have I set the up correctly? I tried it out a few games and directional sound did seem better, however I had no way of adjusting the volume.
Hello...Maybt it is time to revisit this. My biggest question is with Arctis Pro + GameDAC. Is set to Hi-Res option. And then set HRTF on in PUBG. I got that much. Should I also employ or set DTS:X or Dolby ATMOS in windows or are they useless except for supported programs?
hi. nice video and very educational.. but i don't understand much, only the sound examples. i was very crazy about get real positional sound with my stereo HP Omen 800 headset. is something unique experience. can you do the video in spanish? pls. maybe you can add spanish subs and translate all the text in screen and explain. thank you men. this video blows my mind. this will be very useful and important por eSports gaming. i suscribed and like. greetings from Chile.
Loved the video, informational but easy to follow. However, with recent updates to sounds in PUBG, are the methods for virtual surround outlined here still recommended (vs in game default)?
I would recommend disabling surround virtualization and enabling PUBG's HRTF option.
I guess that is why my friend who is using g430 can hear footsteps 1-2 seconds before me, also his sounds are more clear. Whenever there are people shooting close and there are alot of noises he could still hear enemies. I tried enablig 7.1 and using with my steelseries headsett, but it didnt make any difference. Ordered g432 a week ago.
hey, does it still show up as a 'native' 7.1 audio device in the configure options? I heard some windows updates messed up where only stereo is availaible?
Great content,
helped me alot
i have never understood the knocking thing. Maybe its becuase my eyes are in view of my door and wall at the same time.
Binaural sound has specific lot harder than any stereo music requirements.
So your headphones might simply be bad.
Also if shape/size of your head and ears differs lot from average then your brain would require similarly differing binaural cues.
I wish there was a way to make it work on Mac running PUBG via NVIDIA GeForce Now :/
- I also don't get why Stereo Headphones aren't sufficient for 7.1, all I want is Binaural and stereo is more than enough for it, so why the need for Surround Headphones? :/
Damn tfw this ghetto 5:00 game is better-sounding than most 2018 games unless you have a 3rd-party virtual surround solution
i watched the entire video and its very informative but I'm dumb. Can you please explain to me in simpleton terms if this applies to rainbow six and what should i do now P.S I have razer Man O' War headset
Great video! Can you give us xbox users any tips?
I've recently tried:
Plantronics RIG 800LX (prefer sonic over atmos): most comfortable and sound is... meh
Razer Thresher (sonic): Pretty nice, totally wireless on xbox but sound is .. meh
My DT880's with a SoundBlaster G5 as an amp and my 2008 astro for mixing... Just let me know how horrible pubg sound is..
And finally, there was only one setup where I could hear direction well..
LucidSound LS40.. the 7.1 was broken so I used windows sonic and/or stereo... they had a built-in EQ called "stereo wide".
with stereo wide enabled suddenly I could tell both location and distance of any footsteps around me. Like CS 1.6 days.
I don't have any idea how to get this out of any other setup on xbox so far... maybe it's magic that the usb dongle does in conjunction with that EQ but I confirmed I could hear footsteps further and more accurately than my squad mades with other great audio setups.
Trent Chance I'm curious about your g5 setup. It's what I currently use. What settings would you recommend? Currently I have it on stereo with scout mode on. I don't think it's the best and always looking to improve. Would love to get it close to how you said your lucid set up is.
PLyRUnKn0WNS
You may think I'm crazy but since that time I've had multiple versions of the astro... several headphones (AKG 7XX, Fidelio X2, DT770, AKG 712, Lucids.. again) a presonus audio board... tube amp.. hybrid amp etc.
Where I'm finally pretty happy is this:
DAC: Mayflower Arc (but could use anything decent and cheaper)
Mixer: Behringer $60 mixer from amazon
Astro TR: Sending Chat audio out of the stream port to my mixer
Presonus Compressor: Cause pubg was blowing my ears out... Had an RNC1733 that was WAY nicer
Headphone Amp: Schiit Vali 2 (Hybrid solid state / tube amp)
The great thing about the Fidelio X2's is they run great streat out of the astro if I want to simplify things.. and get even better out of the Vali2. But this setup allows me to EQ the annoyingness out of PubG and keep the AR's from making my ears bleed.
OMG, what you went through is exactly what I went through. Lots of headphones, mixers, and mixamps and etc. I did like the EQ of the mixers but the wires where just overwhelming for desktop gaming. I ended up with the g5 after all this because I liked the cleanliness of the setup. Currently I'm using the G5 (EQ custom settings I found great for pubg + DSS2 ). For headphones I have the hd600 and HE350. Both great for fps gaming.
PLyRUnKn0WNS well good there's at least one person out there as crazy as I am about this stuff lol. Glad you found a happy place. I'm still going to try the Lucid LS35x when they finally come out in the fall.
Yes that usb "dongle" seems to be doing the magic. A friend of mine who has g430 headsett uses it and says without it he cant hear footsteps well. Also i can confirm he can hear footsteps atleast 1 sec before, cuz he is always giving me the directions and after a second or two i can hear it too.
Lovely video I enjoyed it
GREAT video! I was just wondering myself since I got my own DAC recently. However i am running Voicemeeter but running the audio out through another DAC (FiiO E10K). My question is if I set the voicemeeter or Virtual audio cable to 7.1 like you do, will i still receive the benefit or do i need to download the virtualization? My headphones are a pair of ATH - m30x.
My thoughts are it shouldn't affect much because the the default is set to voicemeeter. Would that be right?
Thank you so much again for the video!
Um, another general question. When you change it to 7.1, does the audio from the back sound softer?
I've never noticed this.
Without a surround virtualizer, the 7.1 channel signal will get mixed down to stereo using traditional methods, which don't produce binaural audio.
I have my heaphones hooked into astro mixamp. Theres a button to give surround. Should i just use that or will that give me Binaural audio. Any ideas? please help. I'm using a sennheiser hd598 open back
just. use. stereo. turn on HRTF in PUBG
Holy fuck I got so scared at the knock 3:27 am with headphones on 😱😱😱😱😱😱
Brilliant video!!
Thank you for this great video.
You are a genius God among men
so...logitech g633 , DTS on with fps preset and superstereo wide should work , right?
Hey, awesome vid! Today I bought a Cloud II which has a built in sound driver. It was set as default device, no enhancement, no spatial sound, just pure 7.1 ...but the directional sound is just awful. A guy was shooting me 10 meters away and I still cant tell where he is coming from, as opposed to my 5 year old $8 stereo headset which interacts with my realtek hd sound. How do I get the 7.1 to work? I can get the realtek update for my motherboard, but is it really gonna help? AFAIK Cloud II sound driver/card is all I need. Plus, I really have slow internet for download. Help ;(
I also dont have Configure device option when i right click my device so i cant set it to 7.1
Spin me right round right round . . .
I have a sound blaster G5. Any recommendations as to I can get an optimal set up for pubg?
what game is the first shooter you showed us?? the sounds are crazy good! holy sh!t i can't wait for when they implement this in racing games and battlefield :DDDD
That's STALKER, a game released in 2007.
huh.. but i can pinpoint shots exactly with my hd 6xx's
Is there any way to use virtual surround windows sonic or dolby atmos in pubg without VOICEEMEETER?
Enabling spatial sound on a playback device in the Windows mixer will force that device into a stereo configuration. This precludes PUBG from ever providing a 7.1 signal directly to that device. What you can do is use Virtual Audio Cable (software.muzychenko.net/eng/vac.htm) as a virtual 7.1 playback device which pipes to your actual spatial sound-enabled playback device, but this is a high latency approach.
Chris Cook hi I have cloud 2 and my “configure” button is greyed out.. do I have to download APO? There’s a button for enabling 7.1 on the usb cable
Is it still grayed out when 7.1 mode is enabled? If it is, you'll have to use the Voicemeeter workaround to get surround virtualization to work with PUBG.
You mean when I press the 7.1 button on the usb dongle? I’ll try it
So do apps like razer surround work as you can select it as default and can select 7.1 even if you don't have say a Kraken etc.
Ok so I have Voicemeeter Banana installed, Hesuvi installed, GSX chosen.
Voicemeeter output set to 7.1, do I need to do anything else? I'm not understanding how 7.1 on = binaural audio
A full tutorial would be nice
Like how do I downmix to binaural stereo
kylo ren doesnt need ears. he uses the force
I was using Razer Electra V2 while watching this and when I heard the banging, I literally looked at my right wall to know how possible they can make that bang with a concrete wall... Hahaha good one Razer..
Hello Chris, I got a Asus STX2 Soundcard and Hyper X CLoud Alpha...(thinking of to buy a new headset, had this beyerdynamic 770pro in mind). I used hetuvi to set my soundcard to 7.1. Also in windows. In the asus software i use 2 channels (think that this is correct) but i cannot really feel a difference. Maybe I did something wrong? Can you or someone who understand how to setup this give me an advice? thanks alot
I've got a question that requires some clarification. I've been using the logitech h390 (stereo) on my pc , casually playing the game. I had absolutely no issues calling out sound locations and would often be the first to mention footprints and accurately locate the positioning of the enemy.
Come a year later my pads are flaking and dig the g35 out of the dust. Installed it and windows natively detects the 7.1... I play the game and i have an extremely tough time locating enemy and hearing subtle steps... my calls are not accurate anymore. I turn LGS 7.1 virt. on as well and the experience is even worse. I uninstall the logitech registry and have windows identify the the g35 as native stereo and its even more terrible.
Then i pop out my reference headphones, the Focal Spirit Pros, and I instantly have better positioning (stereo) but not as great as the 390 and they're not comfortable headphones tbh.....
Long story short what should i do? Give up on the g35? give up on 7.1 and focus on stereo headsets? If I do I completely eliminate all gaming headsets on the market.
please advise
Binaural sound has specific lot more demanding than any stereo music requirements to truly work.
Closed design is huge challenge/drag to even traditional audio makers and only few closed headphones can match binaural soundstage of good open headphones.
And those Focal Spirits are very typical bass heavy fashion cans with clear problems in upper mids and treble.
Beyerdynamic DT770 should have very decent soundstage for closed can of its price.
But if having quiet environment open headphones like Beyer's DT990 are better.
That bigger soundstage has also room for some above neutral bass without it instantly starting to drown details badly.
Combine big binaural soundstage open headphones and sound card with binaural sound simulation and besides direction there's also sense of distance if game has good audio rendered.
While with closed design gaming garbages that same signal can sound like having "head in bucket under water" with zero sense of distances.
Besides nowadays very good audio components in its latest sound cards Creative also has good algorithms.
For example old Dolby Headphone of Asus Xonars (and now many gaming garbage headphones) is seriously overhyped.
It's just ridiculous how people keep paying huge sums from graphics cards which rarely stay technically high end more than couple years.
While less than half the price of one high end graphics cards would get top level sound card and actually good headphones giving return for money for lot longer time.
I have the hyper x cloud II's. The configure tab is grayed out for me. However, I am able to go into properties->spacial sound-> enable windows sonic for headphones, then I can check a box to turn on 7.1 virtual surround sound. Is this the same thing? Do I just enable 7.1 and then also click the 7.1 button on my headphones to enable it?
Unfortunately it's not enough for PUBG. It really needs to Windows to report the device as 7.1 for surround sound to work.
I was wondering if this binerial audio still makes sense since the new patch? Also if it is still reliable, do I still have to use 7.1 in Windows since I can setup the 3d sound in PUBG itselfs? Or should I keep it in PUBG on Stereo? If you dont mind I really would like to contact you for a few more question. Of course I want to reward you for spending time on this...
I thought virtual surround used stereo and turned it into surround.
No, it takes actual surround sound and turns it into something that sounds close to it, but for stereo headphones.
Hi Chris, if I avail a Logitech G533, do I just enable the 7.1 surround in the windows settings to enable the feature?
As a G933 user, I'm also curious about this. Especially if I should just enable it in the windows settings, or also in the Logitech Gaming Software (which gives me the option to choose between Dolby and DTS).
What about pubg mobile ?
PUBG themselves no idea what they are supporting or not, if you want the real deal just search what UE4 support, and since UE4 support 5.1 or 7.1 then yeah PUBG support it too. its big shame to see such game with such low expertise of developers is more popular than real gem games out there.
I thought my dad was knocking on my door tbh so i went and checked and got trolled!!!!
Can someone try an help me? Using my headphones I couldn't tell at ALL which direction the sphere was moving at 3:29. I have a sharkoon X-tatic headset and Xonar Dg Amp 5.1 Sound Card and I use the Xonar audio center for software. I'm clueless when it comes to audio and I don't know what anything really means in the audio center to begin with and I really want to have directional hearing capabilities in games like PUBG, can anyone help me?
I'm a noob at sound stuff but in the video he mentions that since everyone has a different head shape, some HRTFs don't work as well for some people. Do you have an unusual head shape? (Not trying to be insulting). It's possible that the HRTF that Unity (the engine Chris Cook used to generate the virtual binaural recording) uses doesn't work well with your head shape because for you, moving sounds change differently compared to other people.
sorry im not so great with this stuff anyone here able to tell me if i am getting the best surround sound with my razer man o war and razer surround? or do i need some other stuff for it to work better sometimes my audio doesnt feel right
when i set it up everything sounds super quiet and lacking in bass and how can i change eq with this?
What specific software are you using to make the song spin around in binaural?
It's a simple Unity scene I made. Unity has a built-in capability for binaural sound, called "spatialized" in Unity parlance. The specific HRTF provider used is Microsoft's, which is included in Windows 10.
Chris Cook Do you have or can you make a tutorial on how to use this function?
i really thought someone was knocking on my door for fucks sake
Is there a way xbox users can get binaural audio in pubg too?
you can buy dolby atmos or use sonic for free www.windowscentral.com/xbox-one-dolby-atmos-vs-windows-sonic atmos has week trial so you can switch and test both and pick which sounds the best
WTF
I jumped from the chair as I have the window to the right :)))
I have the option to run 7.1 through my GSX 1000 Amp. Will Pubg still recognize that as 7.1? I use Audio Technica AD500x and do not use gaming headsets because I find the sound better in actual headphones.
Does Windows see the GSX as a 7.1 speaker setup per the Playback Devices dialog? If so, yes. If not, no.
Sennheiser GSX need configuring Windows Playback settings to 7.1 manually.
Though while its binaural sound simulation algorithm is definitely up there with Creative's algorithms rest of GSX is at overpriced gaming garbage level.
It uses cheap ass Conexant CX20745 DAC/output buffer chip meant for phones/tablets:
www.head-fi.org/f/threads/sennheiser-gsx-1000-1200-impressions.824923/page-30#post-13504383
Budget level Audigy Fx/Xonar DGX have literally better DACs and its headphone output isn't any stronger than those integrated Realtek.
Lot cheaper Creative sound cards have top level DAC and headphone output strong enough for almost any headphone.
Sennheiser simply smelled how easy gamers are to fool by bling bling decorating cheap basic stuff.
Just like "gaming" headphones...
Closed design in general is bad thing for binaural sound and overpriced Chinese excrement gaming garbages even worser.
ATH-AD500/700 are certainly among best headphones for gaming like AKGs, though in overall immersion suffer from below neutral bass.