[Les]

I'm finding there are too many variables involved to be able to make blanket generalizations about what's 'best'. And that's just because of all the variables related to the hardware and software products themselves (the technology involved), let alone all the variables related to people's subjective impressions of them (human nature).

I guess that's what makes it such a fertile market. There's always some other feature or aspect that can be emphasized as a point of influence or attraction, as being better or worse, more or less suitable. Even the stuff that can be objectively measured still has to be put in the context of the end users subjective experience (which is influenced by their current and past and possible future circumstances) in order to assess it's actual 'value'.

It's just like every other consumer purchase in that regard, more or less. Prone to hype and exploitation, misinformation, disinformation and other unethical practices, deliberate or not. But that's just the way it is. As soon as you decide you want something, you open yourself up to all the xxxx that goes along with wanting that thing.

The best you can hope for is to find something that provides more good times than bad, that gives more than it takes and doesn't always leave you wanting more from it or wishing it were something else. If you've got that, no matter what it is, congratulations. Personal satisfaction doesn't run on an objective scale. If you're happy with an item, then you're happy, and if someone else is happy with a different item, then they're happy too, it's just different ways to the same end, and it's not for anyone else but you to decide how you get there.

I know that's all been said before, but I'd rather say it again than get into explaining my own personal preferences, as I was tempted to do.

About the use of binaural sound in BOB, I'm curious as to how they're going to do that. As far as I know binaural sound hasn't been done before in a game. And again, as far as I know, all the binaural recordings I've heard have been done as live recordings. So I'm guessing there will have to be some kind of binaural emulation going on, as they've already stated they'll be using synthetic sounds not live recordings. Hmmmm, unless they do live recordings of their synthetic sounds...nah...

Also, binaural sound works by recording sound as it would be heard by ears on the human head. This means it should be heard through headphones that don't re-introduce the shape of your own head and ears (and the room sound in which the listeners external speakers would be placed) into the mix. So does that mean the binaural sound would have to be a switchable headphone-only feature in-game, as it wouldn't be appropriate to listen to it through external speakers? And if it is switchable like that, would they differentiate between 5.1 headphones and 5.1 external speakers settings, or would the 5.1 headphones have to use the stereo headphones setting?

Questions, questions...