Poor Man's 7.1 SurroundSound
Taking a theatre experience home may entail, for some, a simple Blue Ray machine of one sort or another. On the other end; the SurroundSound Home Theatre revolution has taken hold, immersing a room full of family in one experience - if you've got the scratch. There is also a more affordable alternative; the Genius GX series of gaming and music 7.1 SurroundSound headphones. These circumaural chambers not only encompass your ears, enclosing them, cancelling all audio interferrence as they project a 'virtual' arch of sound around your head, they dance on them as well. These features are accompanied by a rhythmic flashing blue LED on the left side control panel. At the two digit price point this headset is phenominal, but there are some drawbacks to it's design.
The Exclusionary Drivers Lose The Set
Side-stepping the standard RCA input style most audio cards and integrated motherboards are configured to, and applications having microphone functionality are looking for, Genius has designed the headphones for USB input. To support this design a proprietary drivers package on disc is included with the set. Applications prone to look solely to the audio card or motherboard, may miss this input. So, for the digitally initiated it will be a matter of going into the software's preferrences/options panel to the audio controls and tweak the system to help the apps find your headset. But for the uninitiated, never fear; the disc installs an applet that also allows you to make exactly those kinds of adjustments to your systems software. This helpful little utility will pop up in your Windows task bar icon box. Double click on the Genius logo there to begin tailoring your audio preferrences.
Music And Sound Driven Force Feedback
The fluidity with which they integrate with movies and music (YouTube included) is a delight that more than makes up for any shortcomings. Base dominant sounds and music like dubstep, for instance, trigger the force feedback function, sending vibrations through the ear cups, making a startling first time experience for the listener very unique. This can be turned off simply by pressing the 'V' button on the left side control panel. For what they cost - this set was every cent worth the enrichment of the listening experience.
Comfort In The Design
Falling asleep wearing the Genius GX headset was no annoyance whatsoever, due to a supportive and padded cup design, acting like coushioned spacers between the head and the resting place. The arched head bar never once made contact, via thick padding, with the skull. With ease, the ballbearing volume control helps one find just the right level of sound for sleep.
These Won't Break You
At the $70 price point the Genius GX 7.1 SurroundSound headphones are very affordable. Unfortunately, due to their size, finding a suitable storage palce can get tricky, especially when travelling and taking your Genius headset along for the ride. As a perminent addition to a workstation desktop or as an alternative listening device for your livingroom entertainment center; the Genius GX 7.1 SurroundSound headphones are, just as the name suggests - the intelligent man's choice for home theater entertainment!
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