If you look around, you’ll see a lot of headphones bandying 7.1 surround sound powers. So far, though, all of them generally fake it using virtual means. That’s not the case with Razer Tiamat 7.1, which bills itself as the “first true 7.1 surround sound gaming headset.”
With each can packing five discrete drivers, Razer claims this will deliver the most lifelike positional audio you can get from a pair of gaming ear cups, allowing you to pinpoint enemy positions with unparalleled accuracy. That is, provided your game supports 7.1 channels.
The Razer Tiamat 7.1’s ten drivers break down as follows — center (2), left (1), right (1), surround sound left (1), surround sound right (1), surround back left (1), surround back right (1) and subwoofer (2). That way, your ears are carpet-bombed like only an entire fleet of heavily-armed assailants can do. The circumaural ear cups come padded with leatherette cushions for extended-gaming comforts, while the unidirectional mic features noise cancelling so other players can hear your drunken cussing loud and clear.
All ten channels’ volume, positioning and bass depth can be tweaked individually via the control unit, giving you complete control of your audio experience. Once you tire of playing virtual soldier, a button on the panel lets you switch it to 2.2 stereo (left, right and two for the bass), too, so you can enjoy watching Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night on YouTube for the 2,015th time.
Release date for the Razer Tiamat 7.1 is slated in the Fall, with pricing set at $180.
