Razer Surround is a new piece of software which is free to download which simulates surround sound on any stereo headphones.
Equipment Used:
- Headphones: Ultrasone PRO 2900
- Soundcard/DAC: Audio-GD NFB-3.1
- Amp: Neco Solid State Mosfett Amp
Curious by Razer’s claims of easy and effective virtual surround sound, I decided to check it out. My first impressions were good, the installation was very easy even though I had to sign up for a Razer account, it felt unnecessary.
The first thing I’m hit with upon enabling Razer Surround was background noise, then the calibration started, which demonstrated very effective surround sound allowing me to pinpoint the exact direction of the sound. The default settings were perfect for me.
Next I moved on to music tests, my songs of choice were:
- Tiesto – Feel It In My Bones (Feat. Tegan & Sara)
- The Knife – Neverland
- Deadmau5 – Raise Your Weapon
No EQ
With none of the EQ settings selected I noticed a lessened overall clarity with crushed highs, mid and a slightly reduced sound stage. If you are using this software for music I highly recommend you disable it.
Stereo Enhancement
All this EQ setting seemed to do was increase the reverb a little bit adding a slight echo.
Bass Boost
This setting does what it says on the tin, it increases bass levels by simply increasing the volume of the lower end of the sound spectrum.
Sound Normalization
All this setting achieved was completely crushing the sound stage of my headphones, it was not an enjoyable listening experience.
Voice Clarity
This is the exact same as the bass boost, it does what it’s meant to – increasing the volume of the mid range and hi range. The two sliders are unnecessary but I can’t complain about the additional control it gave to the overall situation.
Gaming (tested on Counter Strike: Global Offensive)
For someone serious about positional audio this could be exactly what you’re looking for, as it does allow you to pinpoint exactly where every sound is coming from with a little bit of practice.
To download Razer Surround click here.
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Performance
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Design
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Value
Summary
Overall very pleased with the surround sound of this bit of software, it performs exactly how it’s expected to. The biggest downside is that it has an unfortunate reduction of audio fidelity, its up to you to decide if the trade off is worth it to you.
If you are serious about virtual surround sound I recommend you invest in a sound card or receiver which supports Dolby Headphone as that will solve all of the problems presented with this software.
