WHICH HEADPHONES OR HEADSETS ARE SUITABLE FOR 3D SOUND?
SURROUND SOUND WITH HEADPHONES AND HEADSETS
3D audio, surround sound, immersion – many headphone manufacturers toss around these buzzwords in their ads. Most people are more familiar with surround sound from the home cinema sector. We are talking about such things as 5.1 or 7.1 systems that comprise several individual speakers and provide a three-dimensional sound experience. With headphones, things get tricky: How can you deliver surround sound with just two loudspeakers. You will find everything that you need to know on the topic in this article.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
What are the benefits of 3D audio for gaming?
In gaming, there are several reasons why surround sound is important. In role-playing games, a lot of work is done with mood. The focus here is on the atmosphere, which should be conveyed to gamers audiovisually and deliver a high degree of immersion as a result.
Immersion and 3D audio play a special role in competitive games, where the location and localisation of other players are extremely important. If you think of a shooter like CS:GO, Call of Duty or Battlefield, you can well imagine how the game will go if you suddenly locate your opponents coming from the wrong direction – and bang! It’s curtains for you because you failed once again to properly hear your opponent’s footsteps.
How does three-dimensional sound via headphones work?
Unlike a home cinema system, almost all headphones have only two speakers (systems): one left and one right. Video games are now programmed in such a way that a separate virtual three-dimensional space exists within the setting. Using software programming, the sound events in this room are reproduced on our two loudspeakers in a certain predefined manner. This is done with the help of the so-called HRTF, the head-related transfer function.
The head-related transfer function
The HRTF is a mathematical function that models the acoustic properties of a human head. This includes the difference in delay and level between the left and right ear, but also the filtering effect of the human head and the ear cups themselves.
These time and level differences between the left and right ear alone make it easy to determine the horizontal direction of sound sources. However, these differences do not occur with sound events that are at the same distance from both ears. Whether a sound source comes from the front, back, above or below, for example, can therefore no longer be determined purely by the time difference. Volume differences between left and right also no longer occur here.
This is why the human ear uses the filter effect of the ear cups and the head to determine the location from which a sound event is coming. The anatomy of the ear attenuates some frequencies and amplifies others. Our brain learns to distinguish these subtle differences in sound over the course of our lives. In combination with the level and time differences, it is then possible to recognise sound events from all directions.
As every head and every ear are unique, every person has his or her own individual HRTF. This can be determined only with elaborate measurement technology. The first systems are attempting to reproduce the individual HRTF using photos or 3D scans.
Computer games generally use averaged HRTFs, which are based on an “average ear” and work quite well for most people. With practice, the human brain is increasingly able to determine the direction more and more precisely, even if the HRTF does not match your own ears exactly.
Especially in the first few hours, these averaged HRTFs can trigger a strange feeling, as the brain only knows its own individual HRTF and has to get accustomed to the averaged HRTF. However, this feeling sets in relatively quickly and the localisation sharpness improves with increasing usage time.
The good news for gamers is: The more time you spend playing your first-person shooter, the better you are likely to get over time!
Which headphones or headsets are suitable for 3D sound?
We would like to focus here on two particularly important factors: frequency response and the pairing of the two loudspeaker systems built into the headphones.
Frequency response
So that a headset or gaming headset can fully utilise the generated 3D effect of the game, it is important to reproduce sound events as unadulterated as possible. This means that all audible frequencies (20Hz to 20kHz) are in a balanced relationship to each other so that all frequency ranges (bass, mid-range, treble) are presented clearly and cleanly and do not overlap.
In contrast to loudspeakers, however, the aim with headphones is not to achieve the flattest possible frequency spectrum in all ranges, but to take into account the frequency changes in the human head and ears that are absent when wearing headphones. For this reason, measurements of headphones usually show an increased high-frequency plateau. This means that high frequencies are often boosted by means of a special mechanism in the system.
The gaming headsets MMX 300 PRO, MMX 150 and MMX 100 deliver a particularly pronounced high frequency range that is typical for beyerdynamic. This is also particularly advantageous for the reproduction of 3D effects using HRTF, as the directional dependence of the HRTF is largely determined in the high-frequency range.
No less important for the correct three-dimensional localisation or location of sound events is the best possible pairing of the left and right loudspeaker systems. Optimal localisation sharpness can be achieved only if all frequency ranges are reproduced at the same volume on both the left and right. Incorrect pairing results in a certain amount of blurring, and the player can no longer determine exactly which direction the sound event is coming from.
Pairing – coordination of the systems
This can manifest itself either in the fact that a signal coming from the front is perceived as being slightly shifted to the left or right, or that a sound event is perceived as being wider than it actually is. This can lead to a loss of immersion, which ultimately results in a disadvantage for gamers in competitive games as a logical consequence.
The pairing of individual headphone systems has a long tradition at beyerdynamic. For years, systems that fit together particularly well have been sought and found by means of elaborate measurements. With our STELLAR.45 system, this is no longer necessary, as the systems are manufactured to such a high quality that they always fit together perfectly, even without a pairing process. Of course, this is also checked separately for each pair of headphones and each headset so that optimally tuned headphones are always delivered to the customer.
NOW NEW: The MMX 300 PRO features the state-of-the-art STELLAR.45 driver that takes the gaming headset to a new level. Originally developed for the studio sector, the driver stands for outstanding sound. The precise audio reproduction enables optimum in-game localisation during gaming. The headset also offers unrivalled wearing comfort and is handmade by us in Heilbronn.
In our FACTORY, you can design the MMX 300 PRO exactly the way you want it. You can choose between different ear pads, decorative rings, a picture of your choice on the earpiece shell or even a personalised engraving on the fork.
With this headset, nothing stands in the way of an impressive 3D experience.
How can I benefit from the best possible sound when gaming?
To achieve the best possible sound experience, you should switch off any additional signal processing. This ensures that the game sound, which is usually elaborately programmed and created by sound designers, can be reproduced unadulterated by the headphones.
Tip: For example, Windows attempts to “improve” sound with the help of various algorithms, but this does not necessarily lead to a subjectively perceptible improvement. You can deactivate this setting by unchecking Enable signal enhancements on the Advanced tab in the audio settings under Windows.
If you are not satisfied with the existing 3D processing of a game, you can use additional software that switches between the game and the sound card to try to customise your 3D experience to your needs. With the software Immerse this can be realised on a Windows PC, for example.
Conclusion
Three-dimensional sound not only provides gaming fun and additional emotionalisation, but is also relevant for competitive gaming. On the search for the perfect headset, you should pay particular attention to the frequency response of the headset and the best possible balance between the two systems. If you’re not sure yet, you can find the right product for you with our gaming product adviser to find the right gaming equipment for you!