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Audiophile Options For PS5 - Headphones, DAC, Etc.

FrankWza said:
that's going to be a mess of wires. Optical splitters and an hdmi splitter for ps5 unless you're connected to a tv or monitor that does optical out. Still a lot of wired but less than needing an hdmi splitter. That's the only way you'll be able to keep chatmix because you'll need the usb to give you mic functionality.
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Oh, you seem to know about this stuff more than other people I have talked to, so the solution I'm looking for atm is having audio coming from ps5 and pc, I don't care about mic in for any of the systems, I just play story-driven games and when I do need to use a mic I just use a USB mic on pc. So you are saying Optical splitters are the way to go? i thought 3d audio and other stuff won't be supported over sdpif output? I might be wrong though. From all this S hole, I have gathered that you need an amp that supports UAC1 and 2 USB inputs.. btw do you know whats the difference between uac 1 and 2? is there a sound quality difference?
 
RealGhost said:
Oh, you seem to know about this stuff more than other people I have talked to, so the solution I'm looking for atm is having audio coming from ps5 and pc, I don't care about mic in for any of the systems, I just play story-driven games and when I do need to use a mic I just use a USB mic on pc. So you are saying Optical splitters are the way to go? i thought 3d audio and other stuff won't be supported over sdpif output? I might be wrong though. From all this S hole, I have gathered that you need an amp that supports UAC1 and 2 USB inputs.. btw do you know whats the difference between uac 1 and 2? is there a sound quality difference?
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If you don't need mic at all, then usb audio out will suffice. I'm not sure if you can split the signal between your pc and ps5 though. Then you will be able to have 3d audio on ps5. The g6 does its own processing as well so you'd have to compare the 2 to see which you prefer. At this point, tempest doesn't play well with everything. Not 100% on the different classes of uac. I think 2 accepts higher bitrates and may require more juice. Could by why there's an issue on PS5
 
I'm looking for suggestions for a soundbar that might work with my setup. Something that won't break the bank but will provide decent sound.

I use a 43 inch 120hz Acer Predator monitor for PC and console gaming. For sound I have a Polk soundbar that has eARC, Optical, and RCA jack inputs.

The PC is connected to the soundbar via Optical. When I was using a PS4 I connected it via optical too and used a splitter so I could quickly switch back and forth. Obviously, the PS5 doesn't provide an optical output.

I'm looking for a decent soundbar that provides some sort of HDMI passthrough for the PS5 (the Polk I have doesn't have this) as well as an optical input for my PC.

Any suggestions?

Bonus Points:

Any sort of cheap mixing solution that would allow me to hear both PC and PS5 sound out of the soundbar at the same time? I occasionally like to watch streams/videos/movies while playing games that require grinding, etc...
 
Alright guys quick question, has anyone tried to plug a WH 1000XM* into the controller and how was it quality wise?
And another question for those that are in the know, I plan on changing my amplifier then my ps5 would then have the HDMI pass trough the amplifier, does the amplifier need to be compatible with HDMI 2.1 to beneficit from ALLM and VRR?
And if my amplifier is not 2.1 how can I plug my console to my TV and to the amplifier to best benefit from them?
 
azertydu91 said:
I plan on changing my amplifier then my ps5 would then have the HDMI pass trough the amplifier, does the amplifier need to be compatible with HDMI 2.1 to beneficit from ALLM and VRR?
And if my amplifier is not 2.1 how can I plug my console to my TV and to the amplifier to best benefit from them?
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Yes it would need to be 2.1 but not all specs need 2.1 to pass through. Without a 2.1 avr you would need earc compatibility
 
FrankWza said:
Yes it would need to be 2.1 but not all specs need 2.1 to pass through. Without a 2.1 avr you would need earc compatibility
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Yeah my Tv is already earc compatible and the next one I'll get will be too, but my amplifier is getting old and I wonder if I can simply get an HDMI 2.1 splitter, that would probably be a better solution than spending god know how much on a 2.1 compatible amplifier.

Edit:Sorry I thought I already typed it a the beginning but thank you for your answer.
 
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Fellas would i over kill if i go steelseries pro wireless?

i have tonget headset im deciding to skip avr, my target was denon x6700 but i seee all issues its having so till then

my aim is to get steelseries pro wireless gaming
 
Kurd o Azadi said:
Fellas would i over kill if i go steelseries pro wireless?
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Do not purchase any headset at the moment. I have the Pro Wireless and the quality is near zero on PS5. I haven't heard or seen any headset performing as intended (audio fidelity wise) except for the SteelSeries7p

Anything else, as far as I know, is a waste of money.
 
FrankWza said:
that's going to be a mess of wires. Optical splitters and an hdmi splitter for ps5 unless you're connected to a tv or monitor that does optical out. Still a lot of wired but less than needing an hdmi splitter. That's the only way you'll be able to keep chatmix because you'll need the usb to give you mic functionality.
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For me its more about functionality not cables, I would prefer better audio than having more mess, I think I'm already dealing with that XD
 
Rolla said:
Do not purchase any headset at the moment. I have the Pro Wireless and the quality is near zero on PS5. I haven't heard or seen any headset performing as intended (audio fidelity wise) except for the SteelSeries7p

Anything else, as far as I know, is a waste of money.
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thank you bro, exact reason i was going to buy it was to take advantage of the full 3d audio etc.

but ill wait.
 
Rolla said:
Do not purchase any headset at the moment. I have the Pro Wireless and the quality is near zero on PS5. I haven't heard or seen any headset performing as intended (audio fidelity wise) except for the SteelSeries7p

Anything else, as far as I know, is a waste of money.
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the Penrose are supposed to be good and from a reputable company. Other than that, it's a big drop in quality. You can get your pros working via optical and get chatmix working if your ever outputs optical.Even when they get patched to work over usb you're not going to have chatmix that way most likely.
 
Kurd o Azadi said:
Fellas would i over kill if i go steelseries pro wireless?

i have tonget headset im deciding to skip avr, my target was denon x6700 but i seee all issues its having so till then

my aim is to get steelseries pro wireless gaming
Click to expand...

I have these now. They work but it currently does not support tempest engine. The volume is horribly low.
 
Kurd o Azadi said:
thank you bro, exact reason i was going to buy it was to take advantage of the full 3d audio etc.

but ill wait.
Click to expand...

PS5 has been a great experience thus far but the loss of decent or basic audio hurts. Everything sounds ridiculously flat and monotone. My Steelseries Arctis Pro Wireless is basically an expensive door stop at the moment.
 
FrankWza said:
Yes it would need to be 2.1 but not all specs need 2.1 to pass through. Without a 2.1 avr you would need earc compatibility
Click to expand...
I have one last question, what if i connect a g6 blaster to a ps5 through usb and using the g6's blaster sdpif output port, output that connection to another dac amp that has sdpif in. Would that deliver tempest 3d audio?
 
Still very happy with my PC38X. Works wonderfully with the controller and the 3D audio is Demon Souls is top notch. I have the volume in the lower third on the UI and find it quieter, but sounds are distinct and no muffling. I don't like it too much higher because I keep thinking there are people in the house with me late at night. Scares the hell out of me tbh.
 
RealGhost said:
I have one last question, what if i connect a g6 blaster to a ps5 through usb and using the g6's blaster sdpif output port, output that connection to another dac amp that has sdpif in. Would that deliver tempest 3d audio?
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I don't think youre able to get tempest over optical this way. I had trouble even getting the usb to output optical to a mixamp through spdif. That was what I tried before routing through my TVs optical out. Give it a try
 
FrankWza said:
I don't think youre able to get tempest over optical this way. I had trouble even getting the usb to output optical to a mixamp through spdif. That was what I tried before routing through my TVs optical out. Give it a try
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I don't use a tv, I use a monitor without one, so I guess I'm out of options for now. I'll wait until sony makes a statement about support for uac 2 or something else.
 
RealGhost said:
I don't use a tv, I use a monitor without one, so I guess I'm out of options for now. I'll wait until sony makes a statement about support for uac 2 or something else.
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They only way you're getting tempest is over usb or through the dualsense 3.5 port. If you have the g6 can't you get tempest through that? Just plug it into the headphone port of the g6
 
FrankWza said:
They only way you're getting tempest is over usb or through the dualsense 3.5 port. If you have the g6 can't you get tempest through that? Just plug it into the headphone port of the g6
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No, I don't have one, I'm basically trying to get a setup that works with both my pc and ps5 with just a input switch on a dac/amp. So I want to have a solution for audio that has USB input that works well with ps5 and pc input separate. Hopefully that clarifies, and again it seems like there aren't a lot of options for that, unless the G6 has multiple option, and also I have heard people complain that the tempest audio doesn't really work. And again who am I to know. I just only know the JDS labs stuff and g6 works with ps5. And the JDS lab dac and amp combo is real expensive around 500-600 USD
 
RealGhost said:
No, I don't have one, I'm basically trying to get a setup that works with both my pc and ps5 with just a input switch on a dac/amp. So I want to have a solution for audio that has USB input that works well with ps5 and pc input separate. Hopefully that clarifies, and again it seems like there aren't a lot of options for that, unless the G6 has multiple option, and also I have heard people complain that the tempest audio doesn't really work. And again who am I to know. I just only know the JDS labs stuff and g6 works with ps5. And the JDS lab dac and amp combo is real expensive around 500-600 USD
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I remember. Sorry about that. I just went back to read the older posts. I had mentioned optical to give you an option to split and keep mic and mixing capabilities. You're wanting to split to you pc and PS5 and don't care about mic support so much, right?
 
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FrankWza said:
I remember. Sorry about that. I just went back to read the older posts. I had mentioned optical to give you an option to split and keep mic and mixing capabilities. You're wanting to split to you pc and PS5 and don't care about mic support so much, right?
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yup correct. I just can't seem to think of a solution atm
 
FrankWza said:
I remember. Sorry about that. I just went back to read the older posts. I had mentioned optical to give you an option to split and keep mic and mixing capabilities. You're wanting to split to you pc and PS5 and don't care about mic support so much, right?
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you are good btw. There are a lot of people you are trying to help
 
RealGhost said:
you are good btw. There are a lot of people you are trying to help
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Haha..no not really. I just have a bunch of audio stuff in my house and I'm trying to figure things out for myself as I go. The thing with the setup you're looking to do is getting tempest is going to prove difficult. You're wanting to have the pc and ps5 connected at the same time and switch from one to the other. I don't know if that is possible though without disconnecting the g6 from your pc. Then when you want to use your ps5 move the g6 and connect it via usb to get tempest. Just leave a usb cable connected to both and swap the g6 each time. Then you can use the g6 processing for your pc and turn it off if it offers pass though and get tempest on ps5.
RealGhost said:
I have one last question, what if i connect a g6 blaster to a ps5 through usb and using the g6's blaster sdpif output port, output that connection to another dac amp that has sdpif in. Would that deliver tempest 3d audio?
Click to expand...

so here you want to use the g6 spdif to passthrough tempest converted from ps5 usb to optical, then connect optical to another amp and plug in you phones here? That's interesting. I don't know if that's going to work. The one dac I used when trying to use spdif would not output over optical. But if it doesn't, it should work from line out by connecting headphones there. At least with the g6 you know it's confirmed to work with ps5. Other than that your only option is to wait and see but the g6 is like $130 so it's not a terrible gamble and if it doesn't work you can always return it.
 
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iamvin22 said:
I have these now. They work but it currently does not support tempest engine. The volume is horribly low.
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I tried my Astro A40 through the DualSense and sounds loud and clean but 2.0 stereo. I should check on Spider-Man because it has good 3D Audio as I experienced from my Pulse 3D. I will report back.

Astro's Playroom doesn't support 3D audio as it seems, without 3D Audio on the sound is very clear and clean as 7.1 on Pulse 3D (wirelessly).

If you turn 3D audio and the game doesn't support it the sound gets is really bad and muffled. Demon's Souls seems to have the best implementation so far according to friends.
 
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Ok, just tested my Astro A40 through the DualSense with Spider-Man MM, and I can confirm that it supports 3D Audio 100%. But last time I tested it on Genshin it sounded just like 2.0 Channel (which is perfect for true HRTF-based 3D Audio anyway).

Tried the Pulse 3D through DualSense while it's shut down using 3.5 aux cable, and again the Pulse 3D supports 3D Audio on Spider-Man MM even wired (same as A40). Pulse 3D has cleaner/better clarity, cleaner bass, and slightly more volume than Astro A40. If you play a game that doesn't support 3D Audio, I think the system will recreate that 7.1 channel audio into 3D space as tested on Genshin, so Astro A40 works perfectly as well through the DualSense. As tested turning off 3D audio while using Pulse 3D wirelessly and 7.1 channel support kicked in and kept that surround feel going but feels less precise.

I think Sony fixed the problem with the muffled sound now that I checked Astro's Playroom again and sounds good now.

Pulse 3D vs Astro A40: Slightly higher volume, noticeably better clarity, and cleaner bass on Pulse 3D (A40 already has bad bass). But if you already have Astro A40 I'm more than sure you'll be very happy with it plugged into the controller. There are many versions of A40 as it seems, but this is mine, not sure what version but bought it in 2018 IIRC:

81rfq4VWSgL._SL1500_.jpg


PS: I have the mixamp, but it's useless now nor I'm interested in using it.
 
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FrankWza said:
Hey Bo, I would definitely at least try the mixamp with the optical workaround and see how that sounds for you. I'm getting more consistent results so far.
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You mean through the tv? Nah, I'm good. I regret not going wireless earlier, and regret not getting PS Platinum back then due to dumb reviews praising Astro A40+Mixamp.
 
Bo_Hazem said:
You mean through the tv? Nah, I'm good. I regret not going wireless earlier, and regret not getting PS Platinum back then due to dumb reviews praising Astro A40+Mixamp.
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Oh yeah for complete wireless totally. I don't use Astro headset. I use hr2 with boompro and it's sounding pretty good.
 
FrankWza said:
Oh yeah for complete wireless totally. I don't use Astro headset. I use hr2 with boompro and it's sounding pretty good.
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Yeah that might sound better than Astro's A40 indeed. But I think most people will be happy with any headset connected to DualSense, as long as the headset doesn't require so much juice to run properly.
 
Alright I have an actual home theater setup, here are my points.
  • Get an actual set of high quality speakers and a decent receiver. Soundbars and headphones are compromises for situations where speakers won't work, but should be avoided if not absolutely needed. I say this as someone who loves headphones. My current setup is a Schiit Yggy into a Mjolnir with a pair of HD650s.
  • Do not skimp out on the center speaker. Seriously, when I did my last upgrade my center arrived first and swapping that in made a huge difference on its own.
  • Add room treatments to reduce reflections and improve sound quality. You can make these yourself using cheap wood and rock wool insulation from Home Depot. Plenty of tutorials out there. Probably one of the best bang/buck things you can do.
  • Put bass traps in all corners to improve bass response. Again, can be made using rock wool insulation and cardboard. Easy, cheap, and well worth it.
  • Get two or more subwoofers to make the low end more linear and impactful. You'll need to go through some trial and error to work out placement. I've found with two that have them on opposite corners of the room (one front right, other rear left), works very well to provide good response and smooth out room nodes.
  • Use a miniDSP to EQ the subwoofers. This is one of those things that can get a big result for not a lot of work. Just need to spend some time with a laptop and a mic to get measurements.

In terms of setup, here's how I would prioritize the number of speakers. Your room size or other factors could change this, but I feel like this is the best path to get great sound for movies and games. Keep in mind that the cost for receivers goes up a lot once you want more than seven driven speakers.
  • 2.0: Left/right front speakers
  • 2.1: Left/right front, one sub
  • 3.1: Left/right/center front, one sub
  • 3.2: Left/right/center front, two subs
  • 5.2: Left/right/center front, Left/right side, two subs
  • 7.2: Left/right/center front, Left/right side, Left/right rear, two subs
  • 7.2.2: Left/right/center front speakers, Left/right side, Left/right rear, Left/right overhead, two subs
  • 7.2.4: Left/right/center front speakers, Left/right side, Left/right rear, Left/right front overhead, Left/right rear overhead, two subs
After 7.2.4 you're going to want to look into whether adding two more subs is going to work.
 
Agnostic2020 said:
Guys a question. A heaphone connected to controller vs heaphone connected to usb on console . Which sounds better ?

Can anyone help ?
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Depends on the usb dac or amp you're using but it will mostly sound better over usb. But it comes down to wire to console vs wire to controller and you'd have to weigh the pros and cons for you with the quality of each
 
Agnostic2020 said:
Guys a question. A heaphone connected to controller vs heaphone connected to usb on console . Which sounds better ?

Can anyone help ?
Click to expand...

I tried Astro A40 and Pulse 3D (turned off) via 3.5 aux. Both support 3D Audio that way, and should any headset do the same. Only problem is the power needed for some headset might make them have low volume, I think? Astro A40 works very good though.
 
FrankWza said:
Depends on the usb dac or amp you're using but it will mostly sound better over usb. But it comes down to wire to console vs wire to controller and you'd have to weigh the pros and cons for you with the quality of each
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Wait i can't just plug a sony 1000xm4 to usb c infront of the console and listen to the audio like that ? Do i need to have usb dac?
 
Bo_Hazem said:
I tried Astro A40 and Pulse 3D (turned off) via 3.5 aux. Both support 3D Audio that way, and should any headset do the same. Only problem is the power needed for some headset might make them have low volume, I think? Astro A40 works very good though.
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Yeah. That's another reason why the optical workaround works better. You keep mixing capabilities as well.
Agnostic2020 said:
Wait i can't just plug a sony 1000xm4 to usb c infront of the console and listen to the audio like that ? Do i need to have usb dac?
Click to expand...

They do audio over USB c? If they do you should be fine.
 
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They say that the SteelSeries Arctis 7P is on par with Pulse 3D. Actually Pulse 3D is pretty impressive. I didn't test PS Platinum which has 50mm drivers vs 40mm on Pulse 3D, but FrankWza FrankWza says Platinum is better. Is it as accurate in locality? Not sure, Pulse 3D is just an impressive headset for only $100. I have Astro A40 and Pulse 3D is just better on everything (clarity, bass, volume, locality) but A40 has bigger cups and would fit better for those with elephant ears.
 
Bo_Hazem said:






They say that the SteelSeries Arctis 7P is on par with Pulse 3D. Actually Pulse 3D is pretty impressive. I didn't test PS Platinum which has 50mm drivers vs 40mm on Pulse 3D, but FrankWza FrankWza says Platinum is better. Is it as accurate in locality? Not sure, Pulse 3D is just an impressive headset for only $100. I have Astro A40 and Pulse 3D is just better on everything (clarity, bass, volume, locality) but A40 has bigger cups and would fit better for those with elephant ears.
Click to expand...

So Platinum audio quality is better than pulse 3d right ?

Also can u connect the platinum one to usb in front the console ? So directly wired to console instead of controller ?
 
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