wrote:

Can 7.1 sound cards still work using 5.1 ?

yes u will just have 2 speakers less.

as for headsets i recommend Sennheiser, pretty expensive but they are worth it. Been using Sennheiser for the last 4 years now and i`m totally satisfied. As for sound cards i would recommend the Creative products, now depending on how deep your pockets go, you could get smth hi-end or some mid-range sound card. Im having the Audigy 2 ZS for 3 years, and i won't trade it up for the new ones as again i`m totally satisfied with it.

im also lookin at gettin 5H v2...they look a nice pair of headphones :}

wrote:

have u ever tried playing quake with 5.1 sound on your headphones? Well i have and it's totally confusing, thats why each time i play i set my audigy to "headphones" and turn on its lovely CMSS 3D effect. Using the 5.1 speakers in game doesnt help me at all either coz they cant match the headphone's accuracy.

since 3-4 month iam playin with Medusa 5.1 Headset on a Nvidia Nforce 5.1 Card, and i have to say that i needed some driver updates + 2-3 weeks testing settings of software in combo with the settings on phones, but its possible to tune it very nice, i always play with 5.1 active and for me it owns, how said it just depends on how its setted up

There are so much different kinds to setup such things that it takes its time till the best is found.

@Zack ... hands up for SpeedLink Medusa 5.1 Progamer headset ... and better get a 5.1 card then, 7.1 is lol ^^

wrote:

ok let me expand the 5.1 concept a little...

In order to get a TRUE 5.1 sound u need a front left, front right, rear left, rear right and center speakers, ok? Surround sound in order to be effective needs space, then how could a headset recreate the EXACT same feeling inside it's ear pieces? Yes maybe u have the feeling u get some surround sound, but u cant be 100% sure of it's origin (position). It's hard for me to explain this, i hope u can understand what i`m trying to say here...

anyways i find these "5.1 headsets" to be a hoax.

Yes sure i understand but thats exactly what iam saying, in this earphones there are 3 dimesions (3 speakers on each side) and for sure u need to set this up for having a "real surround sound", its not that you will get the same sound in this headset like in a 3000€ surround hifi with 6 speakers and a woofer but when settet up right its very fine and you can hear enemys exactly direction + if they are lower or higher of your position and the distance ... dunno how i shall explain but for me it worked very well after weeks of setting testing