Spatial audio isn’t just for music playback, as HP’s HyperX brand dabbles in surround sound for gamers, too.
You may not need a massive speaker system the next time you play games, opting instead for a pair of headphones focused on spatial sound and expanding what you can hear, even if it’s virtual.
While it’s true that the two sides of headphones can only really handle two channels of audio, with a different degree of mastering and virtualisation, headphones can sound more dimensional with a feeling of surround, and that’s something we’re seeing more and more lately.
You can find headphones that handle Atmos audio for music, something Apple Music introduced on its service last year, while gamers can use headphones and software to recreate the sound of a surround system inside their headphones.
We’ve seen THX and Razer build software for that, and DTS has it, too, with HP and HyperX tapping into that for a recent pair of headphones.
You’ll find it in HP’s HyperX Cloud Core Wireless, a pair of headphones built specifically for computers with support for DTS Headphone:X, a solution that virtualises a surround sound experience in the headphones, but not the head tracking component you may expect. Rather, it’ll be stationary, though HyperX’s local people told Pickr that support for Dolby Atmos is also included.
One thing of note is that the Cloud Core Wireless headphones are just that — wireless — but that they don’t rely on Bluetooth, and so won’t work with your phone. Instead, they use a USB stick to connect to your computer, taking to computers over a 2.4GHz wireless connection, albeit one your phone won’t talk to natively.
Yes, you’ll need the USB stick if you want to play, though it does come with a microphone to talk while you game, and a sub-$200 price for folks who are interested.
Expect it in stores and online shortly across Australia, where the HyperX Cloud Core Wireless will cost $159.
