How do I hear sounds above and below me in games?

[armysgt1]

I play Battlefield 3 whenever I'm not at work and get confused as to where helicopters and jets are in relation to me. I have turtle beach headphones but they are 5.1 surround. The problem is I can't distinguish whether a sound is above or below me. Are there any headphones or sound cards that can do this? I was thinking about getting the Astro A40 headset if they do. Another question is if they do, will I need to buy a soundcard also? Thanks

Edit: After a lot of research apparently its just 3D audio and my onboard sound does not emulate this. I will need to buy a good soundcard like a Creative Fatality card.

 

[allen9600]

a nice soundcard will definitel do it for you
recommendation.. idk what your budget is, but a friend of mine also uses headsets for gaming and he told me that this sound card is more suited for headsets.

ASUS Xonar Essence STX
http://www.eio.com/p-9740-asus-xona...ace-124-db-snr-headphone-amp-card-retail.aspx

if thats too much out of your wallet then this will probably work for you too.

ASUS Xonar DX
http://www.eio.com/p-30609-asus-xonar-dx-71-channels-pci-express-x1-interface-sound-card.aspx

these are both nice soundcards. im sure you will see improvements in sound quality.

 

[armysgt1]

Thanks for the reply. I really don't have a budget. Ill spend whatever it takes to have the best sound I can get. Currently I'm using a pair of Ear Force x11's with the turtle beach mix amp and my onboard audio. I also want to buy a really good wireless gaming headset to go with the card. I was thinking about the Logitech G930 or the sennheiser pc 360. I also was checking out the Astor A40 wireless system. I only want a headset for gaming, no music. If anybody has any advice I will gladly take it. Thanks