Question Soundcard stereo vs. 7.1 USB headset for localization?

[crowley66]

In the perennial debate of soundcard vs. headset I've never seen this particular aspect debated. Would spatialization be better from a soundcard doing all its magic for an analog stereo headset or from a 7.1 surround sound USB headset? I have a Soundblaster Z, but I've been debating about getting a wireless headset like a Steelseries Arctis 7. The '7 is a USB headset, but it does take an analog input. Say what you will about Creative Labs (and you'd be right), but I've always preferred a discrete card to the localization and environmental layering. But I've heard it said that modern games don't even take advantage of that anymore, and thus most people swear by a USB headset instead. Thoughts?

(P.S. by "localization" I obviously mean aural positioning, not local language translation.) ;-)

 

[Lutfij]

No matter how you wired up the sound card to the Arctis 7, the control/wireless puck/dock will be doing all of it's processing and is the same as you having the sound processing done off the USB port.

Each system will have their own way of presenting sound spatialization on their product. That being said, not everyone will have the same perception of audio as you will. Since you have discrete sound card, I'd advise on picking up a quality analog headset.