Republic of Gamers Announces Centurion True 7.1 Surround Gaming Headset

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ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) today announced Centurion, a premium true 7.1-channel surround-sound gaming headset designed especially for professional and hardcore gamers. Created during ROG’s 10th anniversary, Centurion packs a decade of design and technological expertise into a one-of-a-kind gaming headset that delivers incredibly immersive sound, crystal-clear in-game communications, and amazing comfort with interchangeable ear cups. Together with an intuitive suite of hardware and software features that provide full audio control, this ultimate gaming headset sets a new standard in the proud ROG tradition of providing the best, most entertaining experiences to gamers.
 
I've always been a PC audio nerd. I also have also been a corded high quality headphone snob paired with a creative labs card. This however *could* be the first wireless USB headset to pull me out of the computer audio "dark ages" :) .
 
i never know what to use. Some people say don't use these 7.1 virtual headsets. Others say to use stereo headphones with a creative card. Some might say motherboard audio is good enough. SOMEONE HELP ME :p
 
Great....another 'premium' headset made for 'hardcore' gamers.....as if there isn't enough of these high priced headsets already. I can't even imagine how much these are.....$200 maybe???
 
OFaceSIG said:
I've always been a PC audio nerd. I also have also been a corded high quality headphone snob paired with a creative labs card. This however *could* be the first wireless USB headset to pull me out of the computer audio "dark ages" :) .
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I don't think it's wireless...
 
BloodyIron said:
7.1 headphones are bullshit. You hear in stereo.
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Not endorsing 7.1 headphones, but it's simply not true. Human hearing has significant directionality - including on the vertical axis (unlike, say, dogs - which have to tilt their heads to obtain information on that axis).

The real question is how well a given pair of multichannel directional headphones work, and whether it's worth it as compared to higher-quality stereo headphones at a similar price point.
 
Neuffy said:
Not endorsing 7.1 headphones, but it's simply not true. Human hearing has significant directionality - including on the vertical axis (unlike, say, dogs - which have to tilt their heads to obtain information on that axis).

The real question is how well a given pair of multichannel directional headphones work, and whether it's worth it as compared to higher-quality stereo headphones at a similar price point.
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The argument usually says it's better to have a single high-quality set of larger drivers in the headphones, since the alternative is 3-4 sets of tiny drivers that are all spaced only a few mm apart.

Your ears DO have directional capability, but can you hear the difference between a set of 20mm drivers and another set 3mm behind the 1st set?
 
I have Razer 7.1 headphones currently and they absolutely help me locate sounds better than anyone I play with. They hurt to wear a long time, the headset mic is absolute garbage, and I would never listen to music with them, but anyone who says, "lol humans hear in stereo 7.1 does nothing" is flat out wrong.

Wait for reviews on these, ASUS audio gear is notoriously hit and miss.
 
Neuffy said:
Not endorsing 7.1 headphones, but it's simply not true. Human hearing has significant directionality - including on the vertical axis (unlike, say, dogs - which have to tilt their heads to obtain information on that axis).

The real question is how well a given pair of multichannel directional headphones work, and whether it's worth it as compared to higher-quality stereo headphones at a similar price point.
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Yea, but the headphone drivers are right in your ear so there is no proper separation like on a surround sound speaker system so doubt it makes much dif compared to stereo headphones.
 
EODetroit said:
I have Razer 7.1 headphones currently and they absolutely help me locate sounds better than anyone I play with. They hurt to wear a long time, the headset mic is absolute garbage, and I would never listen to music with them, but anyone who says, "lol humans hear in stereo 7.1 does nothing" is flat out wrong.
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Humans have binaural hearing, although stereo is a bit of a blanket term so what he said is technically correct from most perspectives. That said, a pair of headphones with something akin to a Smyth Realiser will absolutely blow a 7.1 headset out of the water when it comes to emulating 7.1 speakers. There are various software solutions that do similar emulation, and I'd err on their side before settling on a "7.1" gaming headset. Nothing beats a native binaural solution though. Besides the ability to distinguish sounds along the Z axis, as well as sounds that are very close (eg. picking up a phone and hearing the dialtone in the right side of your ear, bullets wizzing above your head), it's just more accurate overall. Analogous to infinity.1.

One thing to keep in mind is that most gaming headsets have very boosted highs to make relevant sounds stand out more. You can of course accomplish the same thing with a real set of headphones via EQ.
 
Yeah. Might be a fun gimmick but a good pair of headphones paired with solid supporting hardware just owns gaming headsets. Especially a big pair like the AKG 700 series. Huge soundstage. You can literally hear people exactly where they are in game and what surface they are running on. Freaky. I can do that with my two speakers too though. Just need to get the setup right and let it rip.
 
I shelled out for the Sennheiser HD800's and a decent amp to hook up to my Titanium HD card with CMSS-3D surround. It was totally worth every penny, games just sound so immersive that they come alive. Splurge on some good stereo cans and use software surround, they will last years and are great for music and movies as well as games.
 
My statement doesn't refute the fidelity of the human auditory functions. I take issue with the claims that 7.1 headphones are an improvement over stereo headphones for positional audio. They aren't better, and charging more for them is bunk. It's a marketing gimmick.

I'm going to assume you're unfamiliar with myself, so I'm going to explain. I've won gaming tournaments for different games, ran a pro team for 3 years, and I can validate the qualitative difference between proper stereo headphones (studio monitors) and 7.1 headphones. I'm effectively a SME in this regard, since you need the best positional accuracy when competing at the levels I have, and that wasn't found in 7.1 headphones.


Neuffy said:
Not endorsing 7.1 headphones, but it's simply not true. Human hearing has significant directionality - including on the vertical axis (unlike, say, dogs - which have to tilt their heads to obtain information on that axis).

The real question is how well a given pair of multichannel directional headphones work, and whether it's worth it as compared to higher-quality stereo headphones at a similar price point.
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Stereo rules. Anyone tried using Stax for gaming knows this to be true. I could hear people from everywhere. High, low, behind me down the street and behind a building in an outhouse farting. Insane directional sound and delicate.

Yeah, gaming headphones with multiple drivers still do not compete with good stereo cans.
 
BloodyIron said:
Care to disprove me? Because I have multiple tournaments won, and A/B testing in competitive gaming that says you have no idea what you're talking about.
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As others have said while yes you hear with two ears saying plain stereo sound is all you can benefit from is horseshit. Go outside; the directional nature of our hearing is obvious. Hearing isn't limited to what's directly on your right or left only. Pretty simple.

The game engine is simulating what your brain does with your ears outside. It builds a auditory picture of what sound should be coming out of each ear piece.

I also play online a lot. One of the best ingame engines I've heard do this is Frostbite. While it's still two speakers it's building that field of audio for your brain to process.
 
Guys. I think you agree. At least, I do not see what the argument is about.

The effects frostbite uses with good stereo headphones is the best directional sound in gaming.
 
IMO the cheapie method for good environmental/directional sound in a game would be to get the best possible (and comfortable) professional or audiophile headset that is >$70, pair that with a V-Moda Boompro (or good corded mic), and use the Razer Surround software. Should run you $110 or less, total. Better options do exist, but demand that you have the budget for it.
 
spaceman said:
Yeah, gaming headphones with multiple drivers still do not compete with good stereo cans.
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Agreed. The issue is not with 7.1 in general but trying to cram that into a pair of headphones. When it comes to 7.1 vs Stereo in something like a properly configured home theater, 7.1 will win every time. The directionality of sound is largely determined by how that sound hits your ear. That tends to work well when we are talking about speakers that are not right next to your head, but in the tiny enclosed environment of a headphone with the drivers only inches away from your ears at most, it just doesn't work properly. It does allow for virtual surround sound while using stereo headphones however, since the position of the headphone drivers relative to your ears is constant and mostly known ahead of time. That is why technologies like Creative CMSS-3D and SBX Pro-Studio work so well. I assume the Razer surround software is similar.
 
Was holding out for these but decided to go with the Hifiman 400s. Should be arriving tomorrow.
 
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