How to Achieve 7.1?

[Alai]

What do I need for 7.1 setup? (That is virtual surround sound, right?) My budget is quite flexible but generally I am looking for a max of $500. I do not have anything, including receiver or soundcard. I only have a Koss SB40 headphone.

Also, a 7.1 headphone requires special headphones?

 

[dandragonrage]

7.1 is a speaker setup implying 7 speakers plus a subwoofer. You need 7 speakers plus a subwoofer to have it, plus amplification. It's not useful, though, unless you have a large room. Stick to 5.1 in a smaller room/setup.

 

[phide]

7.1 for under $500 probably limits you to PC speakers, and nobody seems to manufacture decent 7.1 systems anymore. Even Creative's dumped their respectable 7.1 system. It's not totally pointless, but the difference between 5.1 and 7.1 is fairly negligible since the configuration of a 5.1 system allows for convincing phantom channels.

My suggestion is to grab a $400 5.1 HTIB (home theater in a box) and a sound card that supports Dolby Digital or DTS encoding (around $100). Odds are spaceman knows what kind of HTIB you can swing for $400 that's relatively decent.

 

[Alai]

Ah, nvm then. I must be thinking of something else. Someone mentioned the development of virtual surround sound with headphones and/or 2.1 speakers setup.

 

[Zetherin]

Ah, nvm then. I must be thinking of something else. Someone mentioned the development of virtual surround sound with headphones and/or 2.1 speakers setup.

I don't think you explained what you're seeking clearly enough-
You're not looking for a 7.1 speaker setup, but rather virtual surround sound that sounds like a large 5.1 or 7.1 setup?

You can achieve virtual surround sound without 5 or 7 speakers (that would be actual surround sound, not virtual). The virtual nature usually comes from the software. For example, creative offers what's called CMSS-3D which converts stereo or multi-channel content into virtual surround sound. This can be achieved with a 2.1 setup, I believe.

So, if you're just looking for a small setup that has the capabilities for virtual surround, why not get the 2.1 swans everyone has been raving about? Of course, you would need a decent sound card to go along with this.

 

[Alai]

I don't think you explained what you're seeking clearly enough-
You're not looking for a 7.1 speaker setup, but rather virtual surround sound that sounds like a large 5.1 or 7.1 setup?

You can achieve virtual surround sound without 5 or 7 speakers (that would be actual surround sound, not virtual). The virtual nature usually comes from the software. For example, creative offers what's called CMSS-3D which converts stereo or multi-channel content into virtual surround sound. This can be achieved with a 2.1 setup, I believe.

So, if you're just looking for a small setup that has the capabilities for virtual surround, why not get the 2.1 swans everyone has been raving about? Of course, you would need a decent sound card to go along with this.

Any high-end sound card is capable of this? I know the HT Omega Claro+ can because someone said they did it on their headphone, but I wasn't sure if I needed specific speakers or headphones to achieve this.

 

[Zetherin]

Any high-end sound card is capable of this? I know the HT Omega Claro+ can because someone said they did it on their headphone, but I wasn't sure if I needed specific speakers or headphones to achieve this.

I'm pretty sure the majority of high-end sound cards are capable of this, if not all. In fact, I don't think you even need a high-end sound card - you may even be able to achieve virtual surround sound with the motherboard outs. Again, it depends on the drivers, software that you're using from what I've seen. So, that would just require you to download a virtual surround sound encoder. I'd google virtual surround sound and see for yourself...this information can be found easily.

Lastly, the better speaker system will obviously sound better, VSS or not. But, I'm pretty sure even a shitty 2.1 setup can achieve VSS.

Personally, I don't like VSS, at least with my Logitech 5500's. I'd rather hear all the ambient noises than have all my speakers projected with voice. It kind of 'cups' you, however, I don't really think it even sounds that good. Now, with a 2.1 setup, it may sound a hell of a lot better - I don't know.

 

[Alai]

I see. Thank you very much for your help. I will look into it further before I ask more questions.