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5.1/7.1 gaming headphones [more help required]

For those interested, I just picked up a pair of the PS3 wireless headphones. There were on sale for $80 at Target so I figured they were worth a shot.

Charging them now.
 

Pimpbaa

Member
I have the corsair hs1 usb headphones. They sound great and the surround sound works quite well. Bass is a little weak with the default settings, but it's easy to fix (using the bass preset in the equalizer).

edit: Oops, they are PC only.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
You can get DT990s on eBay for under $200. I'm pretty sure I didn't pay more than that for my pair. It's worth the upgrade for the bass.

With shipping, cheapest is a pair of DT990 Pros for AU$232, and next up is the 600 Ohm version for AU$295. Alternatively I can get the AD700s for AU$129.
 
Does the mixamp support HDMI audio as well as optical? If it doesn't then it well likely be no use for surround sound gaming on the PC unless his PC support DD Live ( which it probably doesn't). For PC use you're probably better off just buying a soundcard that supports Dolby headphone, rather than converting the audio twice.
 

Chittagong

Gold Member
Does the mixamp support HDMI audio as well as optical? If it doesn't then it well likely be no use for surround sound gaming on the PC unless his PC support DD Live ( which it probably doesn't). For PC use you're probably better off just buying a soundcard that supports Dolby headphone, rather than converting the audio twice.

Just optical. But they have two USB portsfor unspecified "future expansion". So I would assume that should HDMI audio become the standard for this stuff they would be delighted to sell us a $49.99 HDMI-USB dongle
 
Damn, I guess I could just get these and buy most of my games on the PS3, the only 360 exclusive I need to play next year is Halo 4 anyways...

I am guessing the headset works with Netflix and blu ray on the PS3 as well?

Yup, they'll work with both of those. I'm primarily a PS3 guy so outside of Gears 3 they suit my needs.
 
Just optical. But they have two USB portsfor unspecified "future expansion". So I would assume that should HDMI audio become the standard for this stuff they would be delighted to sell us a $49.99 HDMI-USB dongle
Then its a bad recommendation as its quite likely it doesn't fulfill the primary goal in the op.


What sound card do you have, Eatchildren?
 

ckohler

Member
I have the Turtle Beach PX5.

PX5_04.jpg


What's nice about these are the built-in Bluetooth, so if you want you can stream your iPhone music to your headset while you play or even take phone calls. I don't do this very often, to be honest though.

The sound quality is really good but I'm no audiophile. I love that they are radio frequency wireless, so no need for wires and I can even keep the transmitter in another room. Because of the Bluetooth feature, they tout these for PS3 chat, however they work just fine with Xbox 360 Live voice chat via a small white cable that plugs into your controller. In fact, they sound great in chat, better than any of the official headsets since you can independently control the volume levels of the game and chat audio. These headsets also "talk" to you with a female voice, warning you when the batteries are low and what software equalizer preset you're using. You can program the software equalizer on your computer but I've never done this.

The surround sound is simulated (stereoscopic 3D) however I can definitely tell where the sounds are coming from. Stuff behind you sounds "muffled" and your brain picks up on that very quickly. I can even tell when something is to the back left and how far.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
What sound card do you have, Eatchildren?

Shamefully, I don't. I'm using onboard sound from my Asus P8P69 motherboard, which I honestly don't mind. Realtek supports DTS Surround Sound that I've never bothered using.

I could always buy a sound card too.

I have the Turtle Beach PX5.

I was leaning towards a Turtle Beach set, as work had 20% off all Turtle Beach headsets on top of our staff discount, which meant I'd save a fucking ton, but given the more gamer gamer centric focus (specifically with a mic) I decided to pass and go for an audio dedicated set instead. People seem to love them though.
 
Shamefully, I don't. I'm using onboard sound from my Asus P8P69 motherboard, which I honestly don't mind. Realtek supports DTS Surround Sound that I've never bothered using.

I could always buy a sound card too.



I was leaning towards a Turtle Beach set, as work had 20% off all Turtle Beach headsets on top of our staff discount, which meant I'd save a fucking ton, but given the more gamer gamer centric focus (specifically with a mic) I decided to pass and go for an audio dedicated set instead. People seem to love them though.
Just supporting DTS isn't enough. It needs to be able to encode to it in real time which is very rare for integrated solutions. Its called DD Live and the Asus support site will let you know if out supports it, though its very unlikely. Ideally you want a sound card that has built in Dolby headphone itself, so you can hook the cans to it directly otherwise you'd be doing two real time conversions which doesn't sound like a good idea to me. Have a look at the Asus Xonar range.

The current setup suggested by others won't allow you to get surround sound in PC games, only movies.
 

ckohler

Member
These aren't out yet... But let me tell you, they are amazing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Q2MdjV3VUc

Yep, those look really awesome since they are the first to integrate the actual wireless Xbox Live voice stuff in, making them the first TRUE wireless surround sound gaming headsets for the 360. They look expensive though and I'm not sure how the actual wireless voice chat sounds compared to having a cable plugged into a controller.
 

MarkMan

loves Arcade Sticks
Yep, those look really awesome since they are the first to integrate the actual wireless Xbox Live voice stuff in, making them the first TRUE wireless surround sound gaming headsets for the 360. They look expensive though and I'm not sure how the actual wireless voice chat sounds compared to having a cable plugged into a controller.

From my testing, the voice chat sounds better than directly plugging into the controller. ^.^ Also they will work on the PS3! (Even tho advertised/branded for Xbox 360)... sans voice chat of course.
 
rTakn.jpg


I have the Astro A40 2011 edition with the wired version of the Astro MixAmp. I know I could have used another headphone but as a bundle it was kinda cheaper/same price as comparable non-overpriced headphones (also, I wanted voice chat).


Why I chose wired:

- no hassle with dongles/weight and empty batteries etc.
- wired version of the MixAmp has more connection options (though misses some bass boost feature or something)
- a bit cheaper
- comparable non-Astro wireless amps had "normal" wavelengh range, so I feared I would get interferences from all the WLAN routers around me. Don't know what's new on the market though.

I never move the headset/mixamp from my couch/side of the bed and so the cables are never a problem for me.


Regarding the MixAmp (= DD5.1 via optical) I'm very happy with the surround effects created by Dolby Headphone in games. In movies it feels less noticeable for some reason.

The A40s are my first proper headsets, so all I can say is that they sound really great with a lot of depth. They are also very comfortable to wear over long periods of time.


Bonus: Proper surround systems beat these headphone setups of course (I really miss my subwoofer), but for me it was important that I can pump up the volume at my new place even at night w/o disturbing anyone. Also, you have to pay a lot more (proper receiver etc.) to get to the same level of audio quality that you get with many of the headsets proposed in this thread.
edit: well ok, actually you could buy cheaper surround systems to match the quality as the limit of the Astro setup is the DD5.1 codec.
 
My wife gave me the TB Ear Force Deltas for Christmas. While yes, they are a bit over priced, it was a very nice gift, and I don't return/exchange gifts.

That said, I think they sound f'n terrific. I'm not an audiophile, so I don't really care what the cork sniffers have to say about em. I love them. As a matter of fact, they made me go out and buy a surround sound system for my gaming area yesterday. Never had one. But after playing with the Deltas, I couldn't go back to tv speakers.....too much was missing.

Picked up a Denon receiver and Boston Acoustic speakers with a powered sub. Loving it. Can't believe I'm 35 and waited this long to get surround.
 
I'd just like to reiterate that surround sound headphones are a nonsense scam. It sounds like you've already found that out though, just making sure.
 
Eatchildren, the Asus Xonar DG would be a good choice for a cheap soundcard for your PC. Its got a built in headphone amp and supports Dolby headphone so you don't need to bother with the mixamp at all and best of all its super cheap. Only £20 here in the UK.
 
The AD700s are absolutely a great "starter" pair of headphones. As for the bass, you can hear it, you just can't feel it.

If you're ever looking to invest more, I can't recommend the DT990s enough. I use the 32ohms version since the MixAmp can power them no problem by itself and they sound AMAZING.
 

gillty

Banned
Eatchildren, the Asus Xonar DG would be a good choice for a cheap soundcard for your PC. Its got a built in headphone amp and supports Dolby headphone so you don't need to bother with the mixamp at all and best of all its super cheap. Only £20 here in the UK.
Seconded, picked it up for $18 here in Canada. Easily best bang for your buck. Dolby Headphone works pretty darn good even with my music centric Shure SRH-840's which have a pretty weak soundstage overall.
 
Seconded, picked it up for $18 here in Canada. Easily best bang for your buck. Dolby Headphone works pretty darn good even with my music centric Shure SRH-840's which have a pretty weak soundstage overall.

I've actually just ordered one for myself. I've been using an old Creative Audigy card for a while for the CMSS 3D mode (their version of Dolby headphone basically) for the simple fact that anything with Dolby headphone was always £50+. Didn't realise I could get a much better performing card with Dolby headphone and a headphone amp that reviews well and even has support for old EAX titles for just £20. Madness.
 

Vanillalite

Ask me about the GAF Notebook
Eatchildren, the Asus Xonar DG would be a good choice for a cheap soundcard for your PC. Its got a built in headphone amp and supports Dolby headphone so you don't need to bother with the mixamp at all and best of all its super cheap. Only £20 here in the UK.

Mixamp works with his consoles and PC. This solution does nothing for his PS3.
 

vanty

Member
Xonar DG is $39 plus shipping in Australia, AD700 is $149 with free shipping. Maybe ebay you can get things cheaper, but probably no warranty which is pretty important for headphones. With those two, good times to be had.

I have no idea about any of this mixamp stuff for consoles though, if I need to be quiet I use headphones with a handheld or PC and leave consoles alone.
 

pilonv1

Member
Eatchildren, the Asus Xonar DG would be a good choice for a cheap soundcard for your PC. Its got a built in headphone amp and supports Dolby headphone so you don't need to bother with the mixamp at all and best of all its super cheap. Only £20 here in the UK.

It's about $35 here in Australia, I picked one up for my AD700s and it's great. Would highly recommend.
 

JWong

Banned
The Official PlayStation Wireless headset is good for PC/PS3.

Not so much Xbox since MS doesn't like anything to work on it.
 

Amon37

Member
Copy from OT section

OK I work the night shift therefore on my days off I'm up all night and my wife has deemed I need headphones for my tv watching and gaming. I have a Denon AVR-887 that all my sources plug into so I want something that can plug into that so I can listen to anything through the headphones. Wireless and wired options please (I'm 10-12 feet from TV) 200.00 dollar max price. Over the ear
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Alright, I have an Onkyo TX-NR609.. if I hook up a decent set of headphones will it do Dolby Digital through the headphone jack?

I honestly don't care about chat.
 

DanielJr82

Member
My own personal set up:

Turtle%20Beach%20Ear%20Force%20DSS%205.7%207.1.jpg

The Turtle Beach DSS 7.1
Headphone amp and audio processor in one. Hook it up directly to your Xbox or PS3 for optimal audio performance. Worth every penny.


51GLt-tp31L._SL500_AA300_.jpg

My "bassy" headphones: Beyerdynamic DT 770 Pro (80ohm version.)
Nothing can beat these when it comes to bass response, they are simply unparalleled. They are comofartable for a while, but they do press on my ears so they get sore after a couple of hours. Bass is awesome, highs are crisp, and are simply a joy to listen to. Gives that great thumping sensation from grenade blasts and the sort. The Mass Effect biotics, for example, sound very cool. The amazing thing about the bass is, and this is the reason they're so expensive, is that they're not "boomy" like the TurtleBeaches amplified sets or the Dr.Dre's. You can indeed hear different levels of bass and in more detail than in any other set. Like any headphone, the source is what matters. Gargage in, garbage out. Listen to some dubstep or hip hop with these in lossless format and you'll be glad you forked over the cash. The only drawbacks are that the mids get drown out and of course the sore ears after some hours of use. They're also not as light as my Senns, but otherwise great all around multimedia headphones. (They were primarily designed for studio tracking, though.)


HD558_new.jpg

My "spatial" headphones: Sennheiser HD 558.
These upgrade the HD555. They provide the best comfort by far and have an excellent surround sound effect. Bass is there but lacking, and highs can be a little too bright. Awesome detail all around. Great for multiplayer games. These are "open" by design, so they leak a lot of sound and you can hear your surroundings as well. However, your ears breath more easily and it's the best way to get that real surround effect. I should note that these are the only headphones I've bought over the years that don't press on my ears, so major kudos for that. I can wear them for hours without discomfort.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Eatchildren, the Asus Xonar DG would be a good choice for a cheap soundcard for your PC. Its got a built in headphone amp and supports Dolby headphone so you don't need to bother with the mixamp at all and best of all its super cheap. Only £20 here in the UK.

You beautiful man.

Purchases are looking like;
- AD700
- Asus Xonar DG
- Astro Mixamp Pro

They fit in my budget and this covers both my PC and console gaming thoroughly.

All I need to do is squeeze the trigger.

EDIT: The Asus Xonar DG doesn't seem to have Dolby Digital Live, just Dolby Headphone. Will this be an issue?
 
What are the overall thoughts on the Turtle Beach X41 headsets?

After using the Sony Wireless Headset for a few hours last night, I now know I need a nice 5.1 wireless option for the 360 as well.
 
Aw crap.

OK, I ordered a pair of ATH-AD700s (should compliment my ATH-50s well) and will be ordering an Astro 5.8 wireless mixamp this week. At least I know it will work great.
 
Mixamp works with his consoles and PC. This solution does nothing for his PS3.
The Mixamp does not work with his PC as already established. Well it does, but only for movies. PC games output natively in PCM, not DD and you can't carry multi channel PCM over optical which renders the mix amp useless for PC games.

Not that you'd even wasn't to mix onboard audio + a real time conversion to DD live + real time conversion to Dolby headphone anyway. The cleaner audio + support for surround sound in legacy EAX titles ( which is none existent on his current setup + the headphone amp are well worth the £20 alone, completely forgetting the fact the alternative solution straight up won't work anyway.
 
You beautiful man.

Purchases are looking like;
- AD700
- Asus Xonar DG
- Astro Mixamp Pro

They fit in my budget and this covers both my PC and console gaming thoroughly.

All I need to do is squeeze the trigger.

EDIT: The Asus Xonar DG doesn't seem to have Dolby Digital Live, just Dolby Headphone. Will this be an issue?
No its a better solution imo. It means you can hook the headphones up directly to the source. Foregoing the mixamp's own conversion.

So to be clear, you will only be using the mixamp with your consoles. The Xonar DG does the same job die your PC.
 

Gibbo

Member
I have been using the SU-DH1 amp for the past 3 years; together with the 555s, then switching to the 650 4 months back. I also owned the Tritton 5.1 headset at one point in time; but would recommend the Senns + SU-DH1 combi in a heartbeat.
 
Why not? It's all digital to the final stage.
I'd be worrying about the potential of increased latency or the quality of the real time conversion if you need to add in another compressed audio conversion into the pipeline first. Surely its better to go directly from the PCM audio to Dolby Headphone than concert to the lossy DD 5.1 first? I've read complaints about DD Live adding latency, so why bother with the potential side effects when you don't have to? The signal-to-noise ratio of the on board solution isn't going to matter of course.

He could do the alternative solution but it would still require buying an additional sound card to get DD Live support anyway. With the Xonar DG being so cheap why bother with a more expensive and inferior solution?
 

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Alright, I'm confused. I have this Onkyo 609 receiver.. my PS360's are hooked by HDMI to the receiver (actually they all go through an A/B monoprice switch to multiple tv's first then to the receiver). I know all the talk of headphone amps, but does the Onkyo not have the ability to output to headphones.. looking through the manual it doesn't seem to work through the headphone jack, it only does stereo. But there doesn't seem to be another way to get digital audio "out" of the receiver.

I'm just looking for a way to get 5.1 wired on the cheap from both my PS3 and my 360.

Don't really care about TV or anything else.. but gaming at night is an issue when kids are asleep.
 
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