The audio component works as advertised: the sound is crisp, and in the right games the sense of immersion and space is simply awesome ... but to get best surround sound experience, you're simply going to have to shell out extra cash for a 7.1-surround capable sound card.

What I will unequivocally say is that for those of you with sound cards that do currently support the 7.1 audio standard, this is a gaming headset that I would recommend.

The Razer Tiamat 7.1 is an excellent-sounding gaming headset with plenty of bass, and while it's pricey for a wired headset, it's one of the best we've seen yet.

Some may also balk at the $179.99 price tag. I'd say this is a case of getting what you paid for. Hell, I'm shopping for sound cards now, convinced more hidden audio treasures are waiting to be uncovered by these inexperienced ears.

These 7.1 surround-sound headphones pack a whopping 10 drivers; five times more than every other set. The aim is to deliver the best directional audio on the market, but it comes at a severe cost of sound quality.

The Tiamat 7.1 edge goes beyond its audio quality: it’s the industrial design – the whole package ... I’m not convinced that the Tiamat 7.1 can give you that big if an edge when enemies come from behind, but it does make the games more immersive.

I was impressed by what the Tiamat does for immersion, and the fact that Razer managed to fit ten drivers into a single headset is absurd ... If you do have all the stuff you need and either the games or the movies to back the purchase, then the 7.1 set comes with my full recommendation.