First announced at CES 2009 nearly 1.5 years ago, the 5.1 surround sound gaming cans from Psyko are now finally heading to retail stores across North America. This headset is radically different from other surround sound headsets as the five speakers are not placed in the ear cups, but above your head in the bridge of the headset to provide a more natural sound experience.

Subwoofers are located in the ear cups, and the headset also features a removable microphone and a separate headphone amplifier box with volume and bass level controls. It should be available in retail stores for around $299.99.

While the PsykoWave Technology sounds pretty impressive, arecent review indicates this headset isn’t really worth its money. The headset does deliver pretty impressive positional accuracy, but the reviewer complains the sound quality is atrocious, and notes even his $33 Koss PortaPro headphones boast higher fidelity.

Psyko Audio Labs Inc., a leading innovator in PC Gaming headphone technology, is ecstatic to unleash the dawn of audio as a weapon through the immediate availability of the highly anticipated Psyko 5.1 PC Gaming Headset System to USA and Canada. Psyko’s patented PsykoWave Technology empowers PC Gamers with an unfair advantage over the competition through precise 3D sound that drastically heightens awareness of your gaming surroundings. Players can instantly identify and locate every gun shot, footstep, and explosion allowing for faster reaction times, higher player performance, and the most immersive gaming experience to date.

PsykoWave Technology – Psyko headphones deliver true 5.1 sound from 5 speakers strategically placed in the headband. The sound is channeled and flows to each ear in a natural way which allows everyone to enjoy true 5.1 sound.

* The headphone bridge houses 5 audio speakers (front left, center, front right, rear left and rear right) with a subwoofer in each ear cup for a total of 7 speakers.

* Sounds from each speaker carry throughout the Wave guides to pass over the front and back of both ears, giving users natural, not simulated, surround sound.

* Precise Simplicity – Another significant advantage to gamers is the simplicity and accuracy of speaker setup. Rather than the normal compromises in speaker positioning typical to 5.1 room systems, the speakers are in exactly the right spot automatically. You literally just put them on and you are in the optimal “sweet spot” of the 5.1 surround sound experience. Gamers often hear directional sound more accurately wearing the Psyko 5.1 headphones than they do with their 5.1 room system.

* Optimal Comfort– Psyko 5.1 gives the user control to either block outside sounds, or open the ear cup to vent their ears for cooling and to hear conversation in the room during game play. The headset is fully adjustable and provides maximum cushioning using fabric rather than faux leather or vinyl which gets slippery and itchy with sweat. Marathon gaming sessions have never been so comfortable.

* Psykowave Custom Sound Control – The Psyko 5.1 PC headphone amplifier allows control of the volume and bass levels as well as being the first headphone system to have lights that provide a visual indication of the direction of every sound. These amplifier lights provide a simple way to see if your computer is in stereo mode or using the full 5.1 surround sound mode.

* Removable Microphone – Psyko 5.1 comes with a removable microphone.

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Sony have announced three new home audio systems, with two soundbars for the cable-phobic and a 5.1 surround setup for those slightly more ambitious.

The Sony HT-SF470 is a 3D-capable 1000 watt (157W x 5 +167W sub) system with three HDMI inputs and an HDMI pass-through port, together with BRAVIA Sync, a Digital Media Port for use with an optional iPod cradle, two digital audio inputs (coax and optical) and digital cinema auto calibration for straightforward setup.

As for the HT-CT350, that has 400W (100 watts x 3 channels + 100 watts subwoofer) while the HT-CT150 has 340W (85 watts x 3 channels + 85 watts sub). Both have three HDMI inputs and one HDMI output, and support LPCM Blu-ray Disc audio together with 3D pass-through. They too have dual digital audio inputs, as well as BRAVIA Sync and iPod cradle compatibility.

The CT350 comes with a bracket for attaching it to Sony’s 40-inch and larger HDTVs, while the CT150 has the same for 32-inch sets. Both sound bars will go on sale in May, priced at $400 for the CT350 and $300 for the C150. Meanwhile the HT-SF470 will arrive in June, priced at $550.

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Way back in the day I had a set of JBL Creature II speakers. The things always reminded me of the ghosts from the Pac Man cartoon my brother and I watched as kids. The newest version of the speakers is the JBL Creature III and they have a very similar design to those Creature II speakers.

The new speakers are available in black or white colors and have a 3.5mm input for connecting to Mac or PCs. The drivers in the satellites are 40mm units and the subwoofer is a 3-inch unit. The dimensions of the satellite speakers are 3″ x 3″ x 2-3/4″ and the sub measures 9″ x 9″ x 9″.

The speakers still look a lot like the Pac Man ghosts to me. JBL uses its latest Odyssey transducer technology in the speakers and the Creature II speakers are available exclusively at the Apple Store and on Apple.com. The MSRP for the speakers is $129.99.

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Premium audio kit manufacturer Paradigm have obviously had enough of subwoofers being the breezeblock-shaped lump unloved in the corner, and have whipped out their SUB 1 and SUB 2 models.

Each high-end hexagon slots neatly into the company’s Reference Signature line, and pack six high-excursion drivers – 8-inch in the SUB 1, 10-inch in the SUB 2 – together with more amplification than most people could realistically need.

In fact, the SUB 1 packs a 1,700W RMS amp capable of 3,400W RMS dynamic peak bursts, and the SUB 2 trounces that with a sustained 4,500W RMS and 9,000W RMS dynamic peak. The unusual driver layout, Paradigm claim, means that vibrations are minimized; a glass of water sat on top of each sub, so they say, “will barely ripple”.

Of course, as with anything hexagonal in life, neither subwoofer comes cheap. The Paradigm SUB 1 is priced at $3,499, while the Paradigm SUB 2 comes in at $7,499; both include the company’s Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) for automatic room correction.

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