[OjasviSrivastav]

Hello good people.

So I’ve had these for well over two years but I feel even entry level “gaming headphones” give better sense of direction in competitive shooters. Is this something that can be tweaked by playing around with EQ settings and/or getting a dedicated audio interface?

I’ve tried Dolby for Windows with (and without) HRTF in supported games (I mostly play Valorant) and it seems to make no difference at all, HRTF just muffles everything a bit.

Will getting an audio interface improve spatial audio? I’m currently running audio off my motherboard MSI MPG B550 Gaming Edge WiFi which has Realtek ALC1200. Or will I get better results by getting a better pair of headphones?

I just want a better sense of direction in competitive shooters. What course of action should I take?

 

[msing539]

I would play around with EQ--bump the frequencies you want, cut the ones you don't.

 

[gregorio]

I’ve tried Dolby for Windows with (and without) HRTF in supported games (I mostly play Valorant) and it seems to make no difference at all, HRTF just muffles everything a bit.

Unfortunately that’s always going to be the case for some people. We all have our own individual HRTF, Dolby (and others) use a “generalised” HRTF which will work very well for some people. For others it’s not ideal but they are somewhat tolerant of a non-ideal HRTF so the results are acceptable but for some it will just sound “muffled” or spatially incorrect.

Will getting an audio interface improve spatial audio?

No, it won’t help because it’s got nothing to do with basic conversion of digital to analogue, it’s all about your personal HRTF and how your brain processes/perceives a HRTF that is different to yours. It might be worth playing with the EQ (in the mid-higher freqs) as suggested but there’s only a small chance this will solve your problem.

It’s very likely there is no solution for you at this time (besides actually getting a Dolby Atmos speaker setup). Apple and others are actively researching to make generalised HRTF’s that work well for a larger percentage of consumers and it maybe that in the future they come-up with some way of consumers running a quick calibration procedure which modifies the HRTF, very likely with the aid of some AI/machine learning but currently there’s nothing much you can do.

G

 

[OjasviSrivastav]

I would play around with EQ--bump the frequencies you want, cut the ones you don't.

Alright. Should I play around with Windows settings or are there any dedicated EQ programs that you'd recommend? Also, thoughts on virtual 7.1 surround sound? Like the one Razer has. Do such programs make a difference?

 

[OjasviSrivastav]

It’s very likely there is no solution for you at this time (besides actually getting a Dolby Atmos speaker setup). Apple and others are actively researching to make generalised HRTF’s that work well for a larger percentage of consumers and it maybe that in the future they come-up with some way of consumers running a quick calibration procedure which modifies the HRTF, very likely with the aid of some AI/machine learning but currently there’s nothing much you can do.

Damn, thats's disheartening. But I don't understand. Why do even crap gaming headphones I find at random cafes give better directional audio? Could it be virtual surround sound?

 

[Svperstar]

Alright. Should I play around with Windows settings or are there any dedicated EQ programs that you'd recommend?

Equalizer APO is the "gold standard" of Windows EQ programs.

https://equalizerapo.com/

It is a bit of a rabbit hole with a ton of options and programs that work with it.

 

[gregorio]

But I don't understand. Why do even crap gaming headphones I find at random cafes give better directional audio? Could it be virtual surround sound?

Different headphones fit differently and have different frequency responses, either of these variables can affect your HRTF and therefore how you perceive the audio.

In addition there it could be different virtual/binaural software (in the cafes you’ve tried) with settings more suited to your HRTF. And lastly, what exactly do you mean by “directional audio” are you only talking about stereo (and the phantom/virtual positions between left and right), are you talking about surround as in a 5.1 sound system or are you talking about “spatial audio”, such as Dolby Atmos, which also includes height information? I assumed you were talking about the latter. Depending on what you mean, a different set of HPs could be the answer, although not necessarily better HPs, just a different fit. EQ could also be the answer but probably not if you’re talking about spatial audio like Dolby Atmos.

Sorry, the way we perceive sound and sound direction is not simple and binaural, stereo, HRTFs and the different surround formats make the whole thing very complex and it’s not yet fully understood (by science). That’s why companies like Apple, Dolby and others are pumping millions into research.

G

 

[msing539]

Op is referring to the directional audio of footsteps, gunshots, breathing, etc.

 

[OjasviSrivastav]

Equalizer APO is the "gold standard" of Windows EQ programs.

Oh thanks man. I shall try that first.

 

[OjasviSrivastav]

In addition there it could be different virtual/binaural software (in the cafes you’ve tried) with settings more suited to your HRTF.

Could you give me some examples of such software that I could try?

And lastly, what exactly do you mean by “directional audio”

I don't think I've experienced spatial audio (read height perception) in any competitive shooter so far. I think it also has to do with how the game in question processes sound, correct me if I'm wrong. Most competitive shooters have stereo sound with maybe HRTF.
All I want is to be able to pinpoint footsteps. That'll be a huge help. Currently i can figure if they're coming from the left, right, front or back but no further detail can be perceived (like diagonals).

Op is referring to the directional audio of footsteps, gunshots, breathing, etc.

Ah yes gunshots too xD

 

[gregorio]

All I want is to be able to pinpoint footsteps. That'll be a huge help. Currently i can figure if they're coming from the left, right, front or back but no further detail can be perceived (like diagonals).

OK, so if you can footsteps coming from the back, then it can’t be just a stereo signal (which would only give you left, right and front), it would have to be some sort of binaural signal.

Could you give me some examples of such software that I could try?

In the case of computer games then no, there’s no software you can try because there is no standalone software, it’s binaural code/libraries embedded in the game code.

In the case of music or film sound, then you could try software like “Dolby Headphone” or “Apple Spatial Audio”, there are also several software plugins like “Ircam Hear” or hardware units like the Smith Realizer A16.

G

 

[OjasviSrivastav]

OK, so if you can footsteps coming from the back, then it can’t be just a stereo signal (which would only give you left, right and front), it would have to be some sort of binaural signal.

Thats strange, cz the games I'm concerned with give "stereo" as an option. Maybe they do that for simplicity sake and don't mention the signal kind? I'm guessing.

In the case of computer games then no, there’s no software you can try because there is no standalone software, it’s binaural code/libraries embedded in the game code.

Oh, okay. So how do "gaming headphones" like the HyperX cloud 2 do virtual surround sound? I thought it was via software.

 

[gregorio]

Thats strange, cz the games I'm concerned with give "stereo" as an option. Maybe they do that for simplicity sake and don't mention the signal kind? I'm guessing.

There is a possibility, it could be a format invented by Dolby. It’s what’s called a “matrixed” format and is actually a 4 or more channel mix which is “matrixed” down to two channels (Lt/Rt stereo). It can be played as standard (LoRo) stereo or decoded to it’s original channels.

Oh, okay. So how do "gaming headphones" like the HyperX cloud 2 do virtual surround sound? I thought it was via software.

There’s a competitor to “Dolby Headphones” called “DTS Headphone:X” which although different works on the same basic principle. The audio is encoded in the surround format to start with and then coded into binaural on playback. The HyperX headphones include a 2 year subscription to DTS Headphone:X.

G