Searching for a 5.1 headset, with specific needs.

[Orca__]

Ok so I have a really nice dedicated sound card for my computer. the ASUS XOBAR Phoebus solo. I am currently using the Razer Tiamat 7.1 on this card. The issue I am running into is regardless of how I alter the eq or the levels the 7.1 mode on my headset sounds rather dry in comparison to the stereo mode. (using the control box it comes with to switch this at will of course)
After lengthy but fruitless talks with Razer I'm in the market for something new.

What I need is a headset that uses actual 5.1 or better.
One that uses the headphone jacks and not the USB for any kind of built in sound card action.
One that will either use the sound card only for its audio, or one with a control box that doesn't add in its own eq like the Tiamat 7.1 does.
It has to have powerful speakers for lush audio output.
And most of all, it doesn't suck to wear for hours with or without my glasses.

Does such a headset exist?
I've seen the Psyko audio stuff out there, but with little reviews, stupidly high price point, and no reply from them after contacting them with questions. This makes me weary of buying their gear even though it meats most of my conditions.
Any one of you gurus got advice?

Also side note, my user name is messed up, guess it didn't like what I entered in after the underscore. o.o;

 

[greens]

HONESTLY, i'm going to get down voted for this but, it's not reddit so no karma! Here goes…

You have two ears. Get a really nice set of Stereo Headphones.
In a theatrical, large setting, filling the room with sound using multiple speakers at different ranges is ideal in replication of audio.

However we are limited as humans to receiving sound from only 2 points, our ears. All of the three dimensional sound you hear is fabricated in your brain, and your brain WILL fabricate the same effects whether the sound comes from 2 great, high quality drivers, or 8 meh drivers squeezed in and using funny software to make 5.1 happen.

I, like many people on this forum, use Audio Technicas. You will find a lot of Sennheizer users here too.
Most likely because they make high quality drivers, no muss, no fuss.

You may want to trade in your sound card for a high quality amplifier, a small 90W High Fidelity amplifier with your headphones plugged in as speaker outs will do more for sound than any digital device can.

 

[Orca__]

HONESTLY, i'm going to get down voted for this but, it's not reddit so no karma! Here goes…

You have two ears. Get a really nice set of Stereo Headphones.
In a theatrical, large setting, filling the room with sound using multiple speakers at different ranges is ideal in replication of audio.

However we are limited as humans to receiving sound from only 2 points, our ears. All of the three dimensional sound you hear is fabricated in your brain, and your brain WILL fabricate the same effects whether the sound comes from 2 great, high quality drivers, or 8 meh drivers squeezed in and using funny software to make 5.1 happen.

I, like many people on this forum, use Audio Technicas. You will find a lot of Sennheizer users here too.
Most likely because they make high quality drivers, no muss, no fuss.

You may want to trade in your sound card for a high quality amplifier, a small 90W High Fidelity amplifier with your headphones plugged in as speaker outs will do more for sound than any digital device can.

Where you are correct in the idea that we only have two ears, and in all applicable theory a great pear of stereo cans would work rather well. Though the problem comes in with the limitations of two literal speakers. Now going back to the fact we only have two ears. What you might be neglecting (no offense meant at all) is the fact that we have multi-directional, as well as multi-spacial awareness within these two ears. We are able to pin-point direction, rough to exact distance, as well as elevation with our own two ears. When you have the two ears working in tandem with one another and our other various decoding hardware within our bodies. One is able to take stereo left and right to the very next level and get surround audio. Though this extrapolation is purely biased on a case by case basis. Some are more sensitive to this than others, in my case I happen to have rather sensitive hearing when it comes to spacial and/or multi-direction audio stimuli.
You see when you limit the direction(s) source(s) that the sound is able to be reproduced from it is very possible to lose all sense of multi-direction. At least this is the case for me.
I have come from good headsets, great theater set ups, to this conundrum. The reason I want the multi channel headset using only a headphone jack is two-fold. One, I have a really nice multi channel sound card. Two, I have a studio mic that I use for voice recording.
Seeing as I have seen a drastic improvement in literal multi channel headphones in my gaming, versus many, many forms of multi channel reproduction software. The answer is clear that I do in fact need a surround headset.

I do hope this wasn't too long of a reply, and I'm not saying a nice medium to high end set of cans won't work really, really well. I'm just saying that for what I need and/or would use them for, they would be like buying a crock pot when all I needed was a sauce pan. I also in no way mean to insult you, I'm just a bit tipsy and feeling like a smart-bummed drinkk' kinda' guy right now.

That being said, I hope this isn't impossible to read or understand due to my own drunken stupidity.

 

[greens]

Two sound sources recorded on a single microphone, played through a single speaker, into your single ear.
Two sound sources recorded separately, played through two speakers, into your single ear.

These scenarios produce an identical sound, they really do, physically, the actual vibration of the molecule in your earball is the same.

The spatial awareness effects are RECORDED by the microphone.
Any difference you perceive is psychosomatic.

Think of sound as a pool of water with all these ripples. You can mimic the ripple, the result… or you can mimic every single point of turbulence: the wind, the children, the beach balls, all individually… The result is the same; a jostling pool of sound.

There are plenty of videos online that outline this, barber shop examples are very popular.

The laws of physics disagree with your ears!

 

[RazerZ]

Completely agree with greens.

Worth a read: http://linustechtips.com/main/topic/331886-71-headphones/

To quote from ShearMe's write up:

Spoiler

"True" Surround Headsets - Even More Marketing Garbage

There are, of course, still those pesky pricey headsets out out there which throw multiple drivers into a single ear cup. This is bad because 1) you're spending money on a bunch of tiny inferior drivers as opposed to two good drivers and 2) a single ear cannot determine locational information. It's like being in a car with a single window rolled down - no matter where noises come from around the car, your brain will make you think they're all coming from the direction of the open window. These headsets still use DSP effects just like all the non-"true" surround headsets for virtual surround, it's just processed differently than the kind for two drivers.(*)

Buy a quality pair of stereo headphones. You will never look back.