Many people have a home theater system for watching movies in surround sound. HTPC owners aside, few by comparison have a similar setup for their computer however. The basic 2-channel or 2.1-channel, comprised of two satellite and one subwoofer, remain the most common speaker systems for home computers. Some systems such as the Asus Cine5 or Logitech Z Cinéma attempt to emulate a surround sound environment, either through aiming multiple directional speakers or via virtual surround sound processing. Such is true for headsets as well.


Headsets such as the Ozone Strato use multiple speakers inside the ear cups for surround sound, while others like the Logitech G35 emulate the effect through processing. Most 5.1 headsets also require a USB connection and incorporate their own audio logic hardware. Psyko Audio Labs has decided to take a different approach altogether, in what they have coined as "the dawn of audio as a weapon" to improve positional awareness and reaction time for improved game play. Rather than placing multiple speakers in the ear cups they are located above your head, and use WaveGuides to direct the sound around each ear. The headset also makes use of your existing audio hardware, so if you've already got a high-end sound card you don't have to give it up.

Join me as I take a closer look (and listen) to the Psyko Audio Labs 5.1 Gaming Headset.