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5.1/7.1 gaming headphones [more help required]

JVC_SU-DH1.jpg


Anybody looking to buy one of these? I'm about to put one up on the bay but thought I'd check here first.
 

Stop It

Perfectly able to grasp the inherent value of the fishing game.
My other half got me a set of Tritton AX Pro's for Christmas, pretty impressed with them so far.

Full 5.1 via separate decoder box.
4 speakers in each earpiece
Works on PC/PSN/XBL
Removable mic
In-line controls


Sound quality is surprisingly decent, I normally use Grado SR90's.

£130 in the UK, not sure about stateside prices.

Indeed they are.

I got them at a Cash Converters in new condition for £50. Not only was that a bargain in itself but they were the new V1.5 edition with the much nicer looking amp box with new connectors.

While audio quality is not a patch on my Sennheiser HD555's, the amp especially has helped both headset and headphones. I had to buy a converted and a Dolby Digital license for my X-Fi Xtreme gamer, but with it all set up, the setup is fantastic.

For music, I'll be using my HD555's connected to the amp, because audio quality is so much better than with the cans directly plugged into the X-Fi and for gaming, the Ax Pro headset itself is great.

Yes, for music, do not use a 5.1 headset, for gaming, a good headset is really not a bad choice, especially if like this one it works on all 3 platforms AND of course work with anything with a TOSLINK output.
 

Rocket786

Member
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.

Wait, what? The new wireless Trittons will work for the PS3 as well? I have no need for voice chat as I hardly ever game online, but I'm really looking for a great wireless set that works on both 360 and PS3. Any idea on how much the Tritton Wareheads are supposed to cost?
 
I was just curious if anyone has any experience with the Sound Blaster Recon3D? I need a good surround processor. Ideally I would like the Astro MixAmp Pro, but I don't have a credit card to order them. If anyone knows, how do they compare? Thanks!
 

Darkatomz

Member
If I set iTunes volume to 100% then I use system volume, which I do normally. There's no other audio adjustment, not on the headphones anyway.

Pretty much done with the Xonar. Discovered one of my favourite tracks from one of my favourite films is unlistenable. Crackling is so unbelievably bad.

I wonder, is it possible the card is damaged? Does anybody have any idea what might be causing this, or if its just shit?
The point of setting the system volume to 76% is to avoid clipping. I would pull a bunch of engineering language out, but it's pretty nonsensical. The point is, you should leave the system volume set there and adjust application volume levels if you need to. Have you tried that?
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Tried it, no luck. I've now tried two different PCI slots, as well as two different driver sets.

Going to try the card in a second PC tomorrow, and if the problem is still there I'm claiming faulty and putting in for a replacement.
 

Karram

Member
So I have a Sennheiser HD 555 headphones and I was looking for the JVC adapter everyone on GAF is recommending, but I couldn't find it anywhere. So is there any other adapters that are just as good and are in the $100 range ?

Also should I replace my headphones with Logitech G35 ?
 

Totobeni

An blind dancing ho
Anyone here got the Ear Force DSS2 yet? ( just got released few days ago)

I have the original DSS, but DSS 2 have some new features ( Equalizer Presets + Adjustable Surround Sound Angles) and they sound pretty freaking cool.

71nvgQavLdL._AA600_.jpg

Equalizer: select between flat, bass boost, aggressive bass boost, treble boost, aggressive treble, boost, bass & treble boost, midrange boost and aggressive midrange boost.

SurroundExplanation.PNG


If these work well ( I need impressions) then DSS2 is the new high king and dovahkiin of Dolby Surround Sound Processors.


Also does the DSS2 support DD EX like the DSS1?
 
If I set iTunes volume to 100% then I use system volume, which I do normally. There's no other audio adjustment, not on the headphones anyway.

Pretty much done with the Xonar. Discovered one of my favourite tracks from one of my favourite films is unlistenable. Crackling is so unbelievably bad.

I wonder, is it possible the card is damaged? Does anybody have any idea what might be causing this, or if its just shit?

Have you tried using Hi-Fi mode to see if it makes a difference and are you plugged into the sound card or using your front panel? Some front panels are poorly constructed and have unshielded connections.

Enabling Hi-Fi will disable any post processing. GX mode (ASUS version of EAX basically) and SVN (Smart Volume) can introduce noise and cause other issues so you want to make sure those are disabled.

What sample rate are you using and is the sample rate synced with your windows setting? I would recommend 44.1KHz in both the Xonar Audio Center and 44.1Khz, 24 Bit, in your Audio devices setup as most audio sources are sampled at this rate. Higher settings might introduce the crackling or other artifacts as audio sources are upsampled. Also, make sure your Windows audio device properties are set to 5.1 or 7.1 speaker setup.

I just got my ATH AD1000 (which blow the Astro A40s out of the fucking water BTW) and have just started experimenting with them and the Xonar DG.

For gaming, I use:

8 Channels
PCM 44.1KHz
Pro-Gaming Mode
PCM
7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
Dolby Headphone

Under "Effect", I have the three left-most columns, 30, 60, and 120 raised about 10 DB with 60 at about 15 DB to give the bass some more punch.

Master volume is at 25

GX: Disabled
Hi-Fi: Disabled

For music:

I use 2 channel audio and enable Hi-Fi which disables all my gaming settings without me having to go back and reset them. This allows me to easily toggle between gaming and listening to music.
 
Have you tried using Hi-Fi mode to see if it makes a difference and are you plugged into the sound card or using your front panel? Some front panels are poorly constructed and have unshielded connections.

Enabling Hi-Fi will disable any post processing. GX mode (ASUS version of EAX basically) and SVN (Smart Volume) can introduce noise and cause other issues so you want to make sure those are disabled.

What sample rate are you using and is the sample rate synced with your windows setting? I would recommend 44.1KHz in both the Xonar Audio Center and 44.1Khz, 24 Bit, in your Audio devices setup as most audio sources are sampled at this rate. Higher settings might introduce the crackling or other artifacts as audio sources are upsampled. Also, make sure your Windows audio device properties are set to 5.1 or 7.1 speaker setup.

I just got my ATH AD1000 (which blow the Astro A40s out of the fucking water BTW) and have just started experimenting with them and the Xonar DG.

For gaming, I use:

8 Channels
PCM 44.1KHz
Pro-Gaming Mode
PCM
7.1 Virtual Speaker Shifter
Dolby Headphone

Under "Effect", I have the three left-most columns, 30, 60, and 120 raised about 10 DB with 60 at about 15 DB to give the bass some more punch.

Master volume is at 25

GX: Disabled
Hi-Fi: Disabled

For music:

I use 2 channel audio and enable Hi-Fi which disables all my gaming settings without me having to go back and reset them. This allows me to easily toggle between gaming and listening to music.
Those almost perfectly match my settings (even down to the eq adjustments) although I try to enable GX mode where possible as I still have quite a few games that use EAX effects.

Thanks for the tip about adjusting the sampling rate in the control panel, I'd already changed it to 44.1khz in the Asus options but I'll make sure the windows option matches up aswell now.
 
Tried it, no luck. I've now tried two different PCI slots, as well as two different driver sets.

Going to try the card in a second PC tomorrow, and if the problem is still there I'm claiming faulty and putting in for a replacement.

Aside from the PC issues, you enjoying the Astro 5.8's? I can't play action games without them now.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Aside from the PC issues, you enjoying the Astro 5.8's? I can't play action games without them now.

It's excellent. It really depends on the game though. I'm certainly happy with my purchase :).

So, EatChildren did you get a replacement card?

I've filed for it but I haven't sent it off yet. Money woes and other things have kept me distracted and busy. This does remind me to do so though, so I'll send it off tomorrow.
 

iNvid02

Member
i have a similar setup

astro a40 + mixamp for console and for pc the same but with an xonar essence stx card

its pretty awesome but i will prob get some new headphones this year
 
I notice there are skips in the audio, not all the time but they do happen, this happen with you?

You know, now that you mention it, that does happen. I thought I was just crazy, or spacing out when it happened. Even so, it's been pretty infrequent.

I've also been liking how crazy stupid I look with both the headset and 3D glasses on.
 

y2dvd

Member
I'm leaning towards the official Sony headset also because of the ease of use. I also want to use it for my PC, but I know it's not compatible with all PC. Was close on getting the Turtle Power DPX21 yesterday. Any impressions?
 

tomi123

Member
I'm leaning towards the official Sony headset also because of the ease of use. I also want to use it for my PC, but I know it's not compatible with all PC. Was close on getting the Turtle Power DPX21 yesterday. Any impressions?

The headset does work on pc. You just won't get virtual surround, only stereo.
 
You know, now that you mention it, that does happen. I thought I was just crazy, or spacing out when it happened. Even so, it's been pretty infrequent.

I've also been liking how crazy stupid I look with both the headset and 3D glasses on.

Thank god I was wasn't the only one, I thought I got a defective product
 
Thank god I was wasn't the only one, I thought I got a defective product

I mostly get a quick, half-a-second, "crackle" or audio drop. As I said, it happens very infrequently for me, and hasn't been any sort of deal breaker. I figured it was probably pretty normal for wireless headsets.
 
I mostly get a quick, half-a-second, "crackle" or audio drop. As I said, it happens very infrequently for me, and hasn't been any sort of deal breaker. I figured it was probably pretty normal for wireless headsets.

I figured that much, this is my first wireless headset so I didn't know if infrequent skips in audio were normal
 
I figured that much, this is my first wireless headset so I didn't know if infrequent skips in audio were normal

It's my first wireless headset as well, so I really have no basis of comparison, but I love it! It's been great to blast the audio during late night gaming sessions while my pregnant wife sleeps. I only wish there was a way to use them with the 360.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
FUCK

Packed up my Xonar, uninstalled the drivers, and re-installed my RealTek drivers. And to my unfortunate surprise the problem persists.

What...the fuck.

I tried the Xonar in a different system and had the same problem. I've tried my cans and speakers, and still had a problem. Now, back to my original audio source, I'm having the same problem.

Simple test for anybody willing to give me a second opinion; go to to this YouTube video. Time is set up. You should be hearing a weird static over the song, exactly at this point.

How the hell is this possible? This means it is clearly not my Xonar, but something else? What then?

I'm totally at a loss. Luckily I haven't sent the Xonar back. I'm going to need to test this further, and I have no idea where to start.
 

Darkatomz

Member
I have the same thing using a Xonar Essence ST, through my Swan M200MkII speakers and AT D700 cans.

I have a different theory though. Maybe you've just become more aware of the nuances and details of audio after moving up to a higher quality source? I was under the impression earlier that the problems you were having were massive issues with your audio output.

It's a lot easier to notice imperfections in music when you upgrade your gear to a certain point.
 

Khar

Member
EatChildren said:
Simple test for anybody willing to give me a second opinion; go to to this YouTube video. Time is set up. You should be hearing a weird static over the song, exactly at this point.

How the hell is this possible? This means it is clearly not my Xonar, but something else? What then?

I'm getting horrid static on that track too. Could it be that it's your music rather than your Sonar?

For example this version of the same track is crackle-free for me.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
I'm getting horrid static on that track too. Could it be that it's your music rather than your Sonar?

For example this version of the same track is crackle-free for me.

Same. Thank you, much appreciated.

Time to plug the Xonar back in I guess.
 

pelicansurf

Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
JVC_SU-DH1.jpg


Anybody looking to buy one of these? I'm about to put one up on the bay but thought I'd check here first.

Are there any other headphone surround adapters? I've been looking for this type for a while, but it's like they stopped selling them. Putting the 'headphone surround adapter' in amazon gives me zero relevant results so this is pretty startling. Anything like this? I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s with a fiios e7 AMP.
 

Waikis

Member
Are there any other headphone surround adapters? I've been looking for this type for a while, but it's like they stopped selling them. Putting the 'headphone surround adapter' in amazon gives me zero relevant results so this is pretty startling. Anything like this? I have a pair of Sennheiser HD 598s with a fiios e7 AMP.

That su dh1 is hands down the best surround amplifier you can get. Ive got the astro mixamp as well and the sound separation and clarity is not up to par with the su dh1. If that guy is still selling the unit, buy it from him naoooo.
 

pelicansurf

Needs a Holiday on Gallifrey
That su dh1 is hands down the best surround amplifier you can get. Ive got the astro mixamp as well and the sound separation and clarity is not up to par with the su dh1. If that guy is still selling the unit, buy it from him naoooo.

So I'm guessing they don't exist anymore? I pm'd the guy a bit ago, I'm now twiddling my thumbs while futilely searching the internet.

Is this similar? Turtle Beach Dolby Sound Processor
 

Isaccard

Member
Bit of an observation here but is it me or are the PC360's the EXACT same as the HD555's? (sans the mic and volume control)
 

Roklie

Member
I've never owned big earphones and was thinking about getting a pair. I'm looking for headphones that are good for gaming and movies, not too expensive, and the one that has caught my attention is Sennheiser HD558. Are these good for these purposes? I've read tons of reviews on these and none of them have said if they're good or bad when it comes to gaming and movies.
 

y2dvd

Member
So I don't have any experiences with headsets. I bought the Ear Force PX21 since I'm not much of an audiophile. The amplifier has a dial for Game sound and Chat sound. It appears I have everything plugged in correctly. My problem is right now the Chat dial is controlling both chat and game sound and the Game dial doesn't do anything. Anyone know what may be the problem? Using it on the PC btw.
 

bodine1231

Member
I play my consoles at my desk on a spare monitor. I was wondering if I could buy a really good sound card for the pc and run an optical cable from the console to the soundcard and use a really good pair of headphones,would that work well? (headphones are Shure SRH-840)
 

Gorki247

Member
I've also been looking at the Trittons as they have been getting some good reviews. However, the only negative for me is that they don't seem to have an optical out. The Astros look like they do, but are they really completely wireless as I thought this needed a license from MS, which seems to be the selling point of the Trittons.
 

Rocket786

Member
I believe the A50's are completely wireless except when you want to chat on Xbox Live. I believe you have to plug in something from your headphones to your controller to enable chat.

Meanwhile, the Trittons have completely wire free chat on Xbox, but since they are Xbox licensed headphones, they don't officially support the PS3, so while still usable on the PS3, the chat functions from the PS3 won't be functional at all with the Trittons.

I hardly play any multi-player, and I want one of these strictly for single player and immersion factor. I'm leaning towards the Astros as they seem to be a more trusted brand, and just in case I ever do want to play online on the PS3.
 

Jtrizzy

Member
I have to buy a set of nice headphones, as I can't blast my surround sound for at least the next 6 months. I have a PS3, a PC with a GTX 580. Sound quality is very important to me, I bought an HDMI 1.4 receiver to get uncompressed sound.

Wireless would be preferable, I don't mind paying a premium if the headphones are good enough.
 

Gorki247

Member
The more I look at them, I really like the look of the Astros, but the integrated batteries is a real negative for me. If I'm spending that much money on it, I expect them to last for years and I don't really want to deal with after sales support to get the batteries replaced when the time comes.
 

Rocket786

Member
I have to buy a set of nice headphones, as I can't blast my surround sound for at least the next 6 months. I have a PS3, a PC with a GTX 580. Sound quality is very important to me, I bought an HDMI 1.4 receiver to get uncompressed sound.

Wireless would be preferable, I don't mind paying a premium if the headphones are good enough.

Check out the Astro A5 impressions which I posted. Astros seem to be very highly rated across various sites. The Tritton Warheads seem nice as well, but like I said earlier, they won't support PS3 chat functionality.
 
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