Surround Sound Vs Stereo Headset: Which Is Best?


Introduction

I recently moved yet again to another apartment and decided to get rid of some of my old gaming gear. My Turtle beach headset inevitably broke over the years and I knew it was time to get a new one. But part of me knew that I could get a better headset than the one I had been using for a long time but I also wanted to upgrade it. After all, I was on a college budget when I was deciding to make my purchase. There’s a lot of info and opinions on the web when it comes to what the best gaming headset is and why. So I did some of my own research to write this article.

This article is for anyone who’s in the process of deciding on what type of gaming headset to get, and if you need to know if a surround sound headset really is better than a simple stereo one.

So which is better surround sound or stereo headphones?

Stereo gaming headphones produce better sound quality because you’re investing in two speakers vs multiple cheaper ones for the surround sound effect. Surround sound headphones are a better option for competitive gamers who rely on directional audio to pinpoint their opponents and don’t mind a decrease in audio quality. 

 

Good Reasons to Get Surround Sound

  • Great for competitive gaming. If you’ve ever played Apex Legends or a lot of these Battle Royale games, then you know how hard it can be to track the location of players over the maps just using sound. Usually by the time you’ve established visual contact, you’re either going to eliminate or be eliminated by the opposing force. Surround Sound Headphones make it a lot easier to determine where opposing forces are coming from just by the sound of their footsteps or if they shoot their weapon.
  • Mic Quality: Surround sound gaming headsets have good mic quality built into them. You’ll find that these headsets are not super expensive and they come with built in party chat buttons for easy customization

Surround Sound Drawbacks

  • Consoles such as XBOX and PS4/PS5s don’t always have the audio drivers that is required on some gaming headsets. For instance, the Logitech G933 Headset does not produce full surround sound on the PS4 (as noted by gamers in the reddit community). You can still use these headphones to play on the PS4/PS5, but you will only be able to hear left and right direction / stereo audio. This is because consoles don’t have the built in audio driver software to support some of the more niche gaming headsets.

Important Note: If you want to get the dedicated headsets specifically made for consoles, then I recommend the Surround Sound PlaystationGold Headset or the Turtle Beach Stealth 600

  • Reduced overall audio quality: Quantity over Quality. Unless you’re planning on spending $300 or more on a pair of surround sound headsets, you will notice that audio quality overall is reduced. This is because you’re paying for a headset that comes with multiple speakers as opposed to two stereo ones. If you wanted these individual speakers to be as good as stereo, then you can imagine how much of a price increase that would be. Gaming company’s try to make headsets affordable so they sacrifice the quality of the speakers they put in.

Recommended Surround Sound Headsets

Razer Kraken

There are no combability issues for console gamers with this headset. These are the most comfortable according the the reddit community. These are great entry-level headphones for gaming with friends or alone. They’re not super expensive but they are rated well for durability- not a common trait of gaming headphones. They provide complete 7.1 surround sound that work perfectly with the PS and Xbox systems as well as your gaming pc.

 

HyperX Cloud II

Few companies have received as good of reviews as this specific make and model from this company. It’s extremely affordable, has full surround sound compatibility with PS and Xbox systems, and won’t break the bank! Mic quality is extremely good and it doesn’t come with bulky cords that consistently get in the way.

 

Good Reasons to Get Stereo

  • Better audio quality than headset surround sound. If you compare a stereo and surround sound headset at the same price range, you’ll notice that stereos sound better because you’re investing your money into two really good speakers as opposed to several mini ones in surround sound. If you play a lot of single player games or aren’t a super competitive gamer that want to win every round of Apex Legends, then stereo is a better option for you. You can always attach a Mic Mod to your headphones if you want to still talk to your friends while you game.
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  • They can still produce left and right directional audio. As a gamer who typically plays single player or non-competitive multiplayer, directional audio is a great feature to have. If you’re playing Far Cry with friends and you hear the enemy fire their weapon, you’ll still be able to tell which direction it came from instead of just hearing a gunshot of equal volume through both ears. Not all stereo headphones have this feature even though most do so remember to check the product description if you want to confirm they have this features.

Stereo Headphone Drawbacks

Aside from not having true surround sound as we already mentioned, there’s two more important things to know about stereo headphones:

  • More expensive if you want better audio quality compared to a gaming headset. If you really want to have great audio quality that is considerably more noticeable than a surround sound gaming headset, then you’ll find that the best products are priced more around $200 or more. If you’ve never owned a pair of stereo headphones that are dedicated to your gaming experience, I recommend keeping your price range around $100 – $200. It’s hard to really appreciate a difference in audio quality at the higher price ranges if you don’t really know what an entry level headphone sounds like
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  • A lot of Built-In Stereo Headphone Mics don’t work. I’m not sure why so many stereo headphones don’t work on consoles. I have a pair of Sennheisers that have a great mic for talking on my phone and laptop but they don’t work on my PS4 or gaming PC. Stereo headphone mics are a lot more finicky and you’ll likely need to get an external mic to talk to friends if you still want to use your pair of headphones. Be sure to look at the reviews to see if they work with gaming before you purchase.

Great Product Examples

Audio-Technica ATH-M50X 

These offer a great and affordable price for the quality of sound they produce. You’ll definitely notice these headphones to be an upgrade from any budget headphone set you’ve used in the past. These will work with all consoles and gaming PCs for directional audio (which still gives you a competitive edge over players who don’t have this feature).

 

Sennheiser HD 660S

Sennheiser is one of my favorite brands of headphones. I’m not sponsored at all by them I just enjoy the Sennheiser Momentums, which I’ve been using for years now. The 660’s are highly praised in the reddit community even though they are on the more expensive side. They’re for people who want the absolute best sound quality possible and want a pair that will last them for years to come. These are also good if you’re into studio recording and will use them for purposes other than gaming.

 

Related Questions

  • Will surround sound headphones support my switch? Unfortunately no, the Switch only supports stereo and not 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound. I’m not sure why Nintendo didn’t develop this feature considering there are games like Apex that can be played on Switch that should have surround sound. The only way to get surround sound on switch is through an external speaker setup- which is actually annoying to set up considering it won’t naturally give you surround sound just by plugging it in to your speaker system.
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  • Can I get surround sound with normal headphones by installing a sound card on my gaming PC? Yes, but some of the audio will sound a little distorted- specifically ambient game noise. You can install an Asus Xonar DG on your gaming PC which will give you virtual surround sound. However, it’s better to just get a surround sound gaming headset and use that.

Conclusion

As you can see, deciding between the two comes down to personal preference, but now you are equipped with tangible, unambiguous reasons to choose between one or the other. Hopefully you found this information helpful

Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or additional comments, be sure to reach out at entertainmentden.ns@gmail.com. I’ll do my best to respond and I appreciate the artcile feedback and questions I’ve received already from you guys. Be sure to check back regularly for new articles!

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