How to Experience 8D Audio with Your Headphones

Forum 3 years ago

How to Experience 8D Audio with Your Headphones

Have you heard about the latest music phenomena, 8D audio? Grab yourself a pair of headphones in the sale and prepare for a mind-blowing experience. 

If you’ve ever been to a concert or a gig, you’ll know that it's never quite the same when you listen to the music at home. Although it’s the same songs, there’s just something missing.

8D audio is the phenomenon which is taking the world by storm, offering a brand new way to experience music - and it involves more than the usual senses. Described as music that you use your brain to experience rather than  listening with your ears, 8D audio is on another level.

But you can’t just play 8D audio through your regular speakers. To get the full effect, you’ll need a good set of headphones - and here’s why. 

What is 8D Audio?

When you’re at a live music event, it’s not just the people around you that make the difference. The setup of the speakers means that you often feel the music physically with your body, rather than just hearing the notes. 

8D sets out to replicate the experience by remixing tracks. By adding reverb the music appears to come from all around you, making you feel as if you’re in the middle of a concert. 

Although it’s hit the headlines now, it’s not a new concept. 8D audio has been around for the last four decades but it’s only with the better technology that it’s delivering on what it promised. 

How Can I Listen to It?

If you want to try out 8D audio for yourself, you’ll need a pair of headphones. This is non-negotiable; it’s not possible to get the necessary reverb when listening to 8d music out loud. 

If you don’t have a set of headphones already, you can pick up a pair in some of the Black Friday Deals at Game. Currently the volcano headphones are R249 saving you R100 off the original price. The headphones are designed to be immersive, so they’re the ideal match for 8d audio. The bargains on offer for Black Friday also make this a good time to treat yourself guilt-free. 

Getting Set Up

You won’t need to look out for any kind of special 8D audio features as the secret is in what is being transmitted, not any technical settings. 

As well as relying on reverb, 8D audio uses a trick which confuses your brain about where the sounds are coming from. This makes it sound as if the audio is coming from multiple directions, putting you in the centre of it rather than outside. 

This confusion is why headphones are essential to create the 8D effect. With each ear isolated and hearing separate sounds spontaneously, it’s much harder for your brain to pinpoint the source of the sound. This creates what is known as a swirling effect, making it sound as if the music is circling around from all directions, a similar effect to a concert.

At the moment, the trend of 8D music is viral and it’s not a mix that’s being put out officially. That means if you want to hear a hot 8D audio take of a new track, you’ll need to wait for someone to create it.

Experiment with different types of music to see what you like the most. The effect in your headphones can be quite different from one music genre to another, and it tends to be hit and miss. While some people can’t get enough of 8D, others find it disorientating. 

The only way to find out which camp you fall into is to pull on a pair of earphones and try it out for yourself!