Creative sure started demanding license fees from other sound card makers for later than EAX 2, but don't believe they demanded license from game developers. Dolby Atmos and DTS Headphone:X (2.0) are two specially branded types of surround sound you'll also likely encounter. They both essentially do the same thing of adding positional audio for effects for objects like say a plane flying over or a bomb falling from the sky above you.

With such a dedication to monitor mode, there's no buttons for anything else on the headset. It makes sense, especially for a headset that wants to make sure you sound good. All other audio is meant to be controlled through your PC. Remembering to reach for your PC volume controls as opposed to the headset itself takes a little bit of getting used to, but I think the trade off in simplicity is worth it. Beyerdynamic includes two different cable lengths cables; 3m and a shorter 1.8m for console gamepads, Nintendo Switch. or smart devices. These cables didn't make any noise, which was something that was present on the MMX 100. The low power requirement of 48 ohms allows you to use the DT 900 Pro X on almost anything without needing an amplifier too.As an added benefit, the sound card enables audio tweaks through Razer Synapse that aren't available on headsets connected only through a 3.5mm cable. It enables many headphone and microphone audio tweaks, so you can get the best sound in both directions. That said, the V2 sounds excellent out of the box. Who It's For It's a wireless gaming headset with a USB transmitter, designed for use with PC, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4/5 (there's a Penrose X version with an Xbox-friendly transmitter, if you game on Microsoft consoles). It has Bluetooth connectivity, as well as a 3.5mm wired connection option. Who It's For Frostbite sound files are produced at source 24 bit 96khz uncompressed PCM, dithered down to 16bit 48khz and compressed to .cas files in the engine to keep all the sound files at realistic sizes. You can extract the raw files with Python 2.7.6 as per here instructions here https://forum.xentax.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=19074 if you want to confirm for yourself and then analyse them with any modern capable DAW. The Razer Barracuda X isn't the fanciest or most luxurious-feeling gaming headset, but it's one of the most inexpensive and flexible in terms of delivering high-quality audio. The 2022 model uses a nearly identical USB-C transmitter to its predecessor that lets it work with any PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, or Android phone with a USB-C port (Xbox isn't supported), and has the same 3.5mm wireless connectivity. Razer added a big feature to this version, though: Bluetooth connectivity. You can pair it with your phone (or Nintendo Switch, since Nintendo added Bluetooth audio) and listen to music without the transmitter, making it work as a standalone pair of wireless headphones. If you want to use your headset with last-gen systems, such as the PS3 and Xbox 360, you must see if the headset supports those console's unique connections, or if adapters are available. PCs are the most flexible with gaming headsets, since they can work with USB headsets (which are generally only compatible with PCs), 3.5mm analog connections (though you might need a splitter adapter if your headset ends in just one plug), and often optical audio.

As to why they only use 16bit 48kHz for 7.1 surround sound, etc? I have no idea why that is. From my understanding consoles use 24bit. If someone does know why I too would like to know. Compatibility: PC, Mac, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch | Connectivity: Wired | Drivers: 50mm Neodymium dynamic drivers | Surround sound modes: QuantumSPHERE 360, DTS Headphone X: v2.0 | Weight: 369g

Connectivity

Listening to music is a lovely experience in the ATH-M50xSTS, which I kind of expect for an Audio Technica headset. These are essentially a rebuild of the ATH-M50x so they're brimming with that good sound DNA. The audio quality is really hard to fault especially in this price range. It's well balanced with little details shining through in songs. A little bass heavy in the way that all headsets tend to be, but it's fairly mild and the bright treble and warm tones are lovely to be immersed in.