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[Pacnyc]

I love over the ears but they get to be just too heavy and uncomfortable on my neck and ears after a while so I keep apple earbuds nearby for relief.

 

[RuneFactoryFanboy]

I have a pair of Sennheiser HD598 headphones I just recently got. I really like them and . It really brings to light, what I like to call "recording quality", of my music. Certain songs like stuff from modern games or orchestral arrangements sound amazing, making it easy to pick out different channels. I sit back and say "wow this is what I was missing". Other music sounds flat and like these nice headphones are not adding anything to them at all. Like they were recorded by a single microphone sitting across the room.

Reading through the thread makes me paranoid about Tinnitus. I don't listen at levels that hurt my ears, but music sounds a whole lot better through them when turned up loud. I use them maybe like one or twice a week for 2-3 hour sessions.

Curious about an amp now and what it would do. Most things I plug my phones into can output volume higher than comfortable levels. Outside of my DS I really don't need MORE volume. However I'm reading that it could improve sound quality. Wondering if a $75 FiiO amp is worth it.

 

[lukeskymac]

I have no idea what terms you jsut used but I'm guessing you pretty much just said I'm shit out of luck unless I get a receiver of some sort so I can use the optical thingy.

Or my other option is to buy a new monitor? ...That'd suck as I jsut bought this this past year and I'm quite a fan of the picture I get

IIRC the PS4 supports USB DACs. If so, you just need to buy one, and set the PS4 to pass audio through it instead of HDMI. Just need to confirm that any generic DAC will be recognized by the PS4.

Your ears will not thank you when you're older.

We've just debunked this bullshit, please don't bring it back.

 

[Cleve]

If I'm just hanging out playing a singleplayer game I'll use my speakers. If I'm playing something with competitive multi or where I really need to be able to hear the environment I'll switch over to my headphones.

IIRC the PS4 supports USB DACs. If so, you just need to buy one, and set the PS4 to pass audio through it instead of HDMI. Just need to confirm that any generic DAC will be recognized by the PS4.

I can confirm that my old pre-ps4 mixamp detects and works on PS4 via USB without any setup. But I can't say it will be true for every single product on the market(but it should be assuming they are manufactured to standards).

 

[jett]

IIRC the PS4 supports USB DACs. If so, you just need to buy one, and set the PS4 to pass audio through it instead of HDMI. Just need to confirm that any generic DAC will be recognized by the PS4.



We've just debunked this bullshit, please don't bring it back.

I'm speaking from personal experience.

 

[Mozendo]

I love over the ears but they get to be just too heavy and uncomfortable on my neck and ears after a while so I keep apple earbuds nearby for relief.

Which over ears are you using?

 

[Alucrid]

Guys I have a problem and I have no idea what to do.



So I have a new monitor bought earlier this year Asus mx279h and I have my PS4 hooked up via HDMI to it along with a set of external speakers to the monitors Speaker port. Thing is, the sound is fukkin horrible by that I mean I get an audible hiss coming out and the sound is somewhat low especially for movies and some games and I cant get full volume out of it.

The thing is, my old ass monitor had no problem outputting sound from the speakers and I even hooked up the speakers to my phone and the sound was crisp and beatiful, but the minute I hook up the speakers to my new monitor the sound is just bad with the audible hiss.

My cousin says my monitor is just not capable of handling the output of the speakers and that's why its hissing. He said even if I bought new speakers this problem wont change as its the monitor and not speakers and that my only solution is to get a head phone amp and hook it my to speakers in order to get the sound.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005HJWWW8/?tag=neogaf0e-20 he reckons this will fix my sound problems.


What do you guyts reckon? i'm legit clueless when it comes to this and no I cant get a receiver or stuff like that ... I'd rather just get a small set of speakers that I can use on my ps4 via my monitor.


HELP!

just get a usb to 3.5 mm adapter, usb extension cord and 3.5 mm male to male wire. go ps4 usb -> usb extender -> adapter -> 3.5 mm cable -> speaker

i'm assuming the monitors you use have volume knobs on them?

 

[Hypron]

"Does it hurt" may be or may not be a good idea. Some people have higher tolerances before they feel discomfort than others. I have, for example, the most "fragile" hearing among my inner circle of friends.

Yeah I've always been careful about my listening volume, I never put it anywhere close to the "it hurts" stage and yet still got tinnitus :/

 

[Arttemis]

I've never in my life worn headphones that didn't cause excruciating pain after 45 min.

My 5.1 system blows TV speakers out of the water. Bluray 5.1 DTS HD is amazing. Gaming with surround is exponentially more impressive.

 

[Woo-Fu]

Don't really understand the "hurt" aspect. I've been to some incredibly loud concerts that left me with tinnitus for days. None of them were loud enough to cause immediate pain.

That said I prefer headphones to speakers when it comes to positional audio in games. Prefer speakers for HT and music because I want to feel it as much as hear it.

Been a fan of headphones ever since I realized that if you have a certain amount of money it is always going to buy better sound with headphones than the same amount spent on speakers.

 

[NekoFever]

I'd always go for surround speakers if the living situation allows for it. I like the absolute positioning of sounds relative to the TV rather than whichever way I happen to be looking. Plus it's better when you have more than one person in the room, obviously.

But either is a colossal improvement on TV speakers.

 

[PreyingShark]

So, potentially stupid question here, but how do I know if I am listening to music too high (on headphones)? Please don't say "if it hurts, it's too high"

Lower your headphone volume until it sounds too quiet. Then kick it up slightly. Done.

The goal is to aim for the volume you need in order to hear things properly, not to go as loud as you can without hurting your ears.

 

[Acrylic7]

I've never in my life worn headphones that didn't cause excruciating pain after 45 min.

My 5.1 system blows TV speakers out of the water. Bluray 5.1 DTS HD is amazing. Gaming with surround is exponentially more impressive.

Are you using headphones that don't completely cover your ears? Always get over the ear.

 

[Dr. Buni]

Lower your headphone volume until it sounds too quiet. Then kick it up slightly. Done.

The goal is to aim for the volume you need in order to hear things properly, not to go as loud as you can without hurting your ears.

Hm... I see.

By doing that I will not be able to listen to the songs properly though, because of external noises and stuff.

 

[PreyingShark]

Hm... I see.

By doing that I will not be able to listen to the songs properly though, because of external noises and stuff.

Minor external noises shouldn't be an issue . You slowly turn it down until you have to "strain" a bit to hear. Then you kick it back up a bit so you're at a comfortable, but not "loud", listening volume.

What headphones have you tried? A good pair can naturally muffle outside noises so you won't have to turn up the music too loudly.

 

[Vlitra]

wearing headphones gets uncomfortable after a while, I'd much prefer to have the room full of sound if that makes sense even if it's shitty sounding

Agree 100%.

Also if I'm at home I'm wearing glasses. So the extra squeeze from the headphones is annoying.

 

[dlauv]

Both have ups and downs, but speakers are my favorite. Heaphones pinch my glasses and I always buy wired, which hampers convenience even more.

With speakers, I feel like I can turn the music louder without damaging my ears as much even though I lose some clarity.

 

[mm04]

Headphones for porn and that's it. Speakers for everything else! Seriously, though, I can take it or leave it for either on my PC as my equipment in my office is just good enough for non-serious listening. In my great room? I run a 7.2 setup for movies, music and gaming. No headphones in that room.

 

[SeeNoWeevil]

I'm not just talking about proximity. My posts have mentioned the volumes people tend to listen to when they have headphones on for the desired effect of loudspeakers.

If I watch Age of Ultron on my 7.1 Pioneer receiver at -45dB from 9' away; wearing headphones to reach the same desired effect I'd get from my speaker setup, would damage my hearing far quicker. I know, I've tried it. Trying to mimic my 7.1 setup with headphones makes my ears ring. I'd have to crank my receiver up to absurd levels to accomplish that.



Actually owning both, I strongly disagree. The soundscape in my living room is better to me; and an actual speaker setup can get everyone else involved if you're watching a movie. Playing something like Alien Isolation -- when the Alien goes into the ceiling vents, it sounds like it's actually in my ceiling in my living room, and climbing down in my walls. Good shit.

While proximity isn't relevant, I would agree that people tend to crank headphones louder due to the social aspect of bothering others/neighbours with loud speakers. I listen to my open back Sennheisers quieter at work than my in-ear because I know it can be annoying for those around me.

 

[Rainy Dog]

Dolby Atmos 12.2 setup or Sony MDR HW700DS's for when baby/wife are sleeping.

What do you think of the HW700DS's? How do they fair in comparision to your Atmos set-up?

Been thinking of importing a set from Japan for the past few weeks as can't use my receiver/speakers set-up to anywhere near its proper potential in my apartment and it's starting to really bother me.

Or perhaps I should just get a mix-amp for my Sony MDR-MA900 open backs... What do folks recommend as a good mix-amp for virtual surround? Just the Astro's or any other alternatives?

 

[maquiladora]

Always headphones, for everything. Games, movies, shows, music....every time.

 

[Naedtrax]

Audioengine A5+ with an Asus Essence STX for me for most gaming.

But for competitive FPS, etc. I use my Audio Technica ADG1's, again with the STX

 

[halopower67]

Headphones can't compete with some good speakers and a sub (especially a sub) so I generally use speakers. Headphones only when I'm trying to be quiet.

 

[Omerta]

"If it hurts" then you've already damaged your hearing.

Think of your ears as a system that is being constantly attacked by the outside world. Everything they are exposed to makes them a little bit worse than the previous day. What's worse: they can not really heal.

I've done a lot of work in this field in the mining industry in Australia.

Personally, I wear headphones for nearly 100% of my gaming.

 

[Dr. Buni]

Minor external noises shouldn't be an issue . You slowly turn it down until you have to "strain" a bit to hear. Then you kick it back up a bit so you're at a comfortable, but not "loud", listening volume.

What headphones have you tried? A good pair can naturally muffle outside noises so you won't have to turn up the music too loudly.

I will try to get used to listening in a lower volume :c

I am actually using earbuds at the moment, since they are less visible and I mostly listen to music on headphones when not home. Here's a picture:

I want to buy one of these headphones that cover one's hears, but the good ones seem to be quite expensive...

 

[Ivory Samoan]

I'm a speaker guy mostly, but I do have Astro A50s and Logitech G930s in the gaming den; so Console/PC gaming with headphones is covered when required.

I prefer speakers for SP, headphones for all competitive MP.

 

[Gbraga]

I always use headphones, but I do have some concerns about possible effects on my hearing. From what I understand, it's not about being on your ears, but rather that people tend to crank it up more than they would if they were speakers, but I wish there was an easier way to know how high is too high. I usually leave mine at 40~60% volume.

 

[Arttemis]

Are you using headphones that don't completely cover your ears? Always get over the ear.

Those are the ones that cause the most paint. Regardless of adjustment, regardless of padding, regardless of price and acclaim... painful.

 

[JudgmentJay]

Those are the ones that cause the most paint. Regardless of adjustment, regardless of padding, regardless of price and acclaim... painful.

I'm sure he's referring to headphones that completely surround your ear. As in nothing is actually touching your ear. The padding goes all the way around and cups your head around the ear. I don't see how those could cause anyone pain unless they were too tight or something. On-ear headphones are the worst however.