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Hey Audiophiles- best setup for console immersion?

T-Matt said:
Philips fidelio x2 would be a good choice. It has a great sound stage with an exciting bass for open back. It feels very much like the sound is present with you and the headphones disappear. I've not personally heard a lot of headphones but it does rate well with reviews. Great for music and movies also.Though, the K/Q701 are boring for entertainment purposes in my opinion but great for details.
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I have one and they are great with the Uber Schiit stack.
Stupid question - anyone gaming with the tubes :) ?
 
Ultimadrago said:
I just got a pair of X2's, would you recommend an E17 as a good bang for your buck combo or is there something else I should pitch in for for extra performance?
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The X2 are rated at 30 ohm, so they really don't need amplification. However, a DAC would really help, so the E17 would be fine. If you want to go cheaper the lower end Fiio DACs probably would be ok.
 
I want to use my £250 Bose in ear headphones with a good mixer/amp thing. I don't know much about these and didn't even know until recently that they even existed and that plugging in headphones to my ps4 controller degrades the sound quality.

Thing is I want to keep it wireless as possible as having wires connected to a wired amp trailing across the living room and going to the ps4 isn't really ideal. Is there a portable amp that I can use somehow while still retaining little to no wires? I don't mind wires next to me I just don't want them trailing to the ps4 under the tv that's like 8 feet away. Am I stuck with controller sound quality?
 
300$ seems more than enough for what you're looking for.

If chat functionality with consoles is not a priority for you, I suggest to not buy anything from gaming-audio manufacturers like Astro and Tritton. They're way overpriced in terms of audio quality / fidelity and you end up paying most of your money for Design, virtual surround and chat functionality.

My advice is to go for a pure stereo headphone setup with an amp+DAC (Digital Analog Converter or just 'soundcard') with an optical toslink input since that's what most current consoles support, except for the Wii U. If you're lucky your TV provides an optical output so you can go Wii U -> HDMI -> TV -> optical -> DAC -> headphones.

My current setup is an Beyerdynamic DT 880 with an FiiO E17 + E09k combo.
You don't need the E09k since the power of the E17 suffices for most headphones out there. I just got it so I can adjust the volume more precisely with a knob instead with buttons and for better connectivity so I can hook up handhelds like PSP and 3DS to my setup as well.

Beyerdynamic DT 990 seems to be popular and cheaper than the 880. I'm considering getting a pair of those for variety.
 
super-famicom said:
I have the AD900, the older model, but the AD900x are simply the newer ones, no differences that I can tell. They sound great: nice open soundstage courtesy of their open back design, good mids and highs, but not very bass heavy (I prefer it this way but others might disagree). Rock and pop sound really good, as do video games!

They are also super light and comfy; you can wear them for hours and not feel fatigue. For those who wear glasses (like me), it is still very comfortable. And they're only 32ohms, so you can plug them into anything. If I use party chat on PS4, I pair them up with a Sony clip on mic and a grassy adapter.
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Really appreciate the feedback! Just bit the bullet and ordered these off of Amazon after checking out copious amounts of reviews. And so I begin my journey into the world of open-back headphones..
 
Teletraan1 said:
As others have said have the headphones go through some sort of mixer/receiver/amp rather than the audio jack on the controller. Especially on PS4 because it is bluetooth. I have never, not once had a good audio experience with anything bluetooth. WiFi direct or whatever MS uses might be better than bluetooth in this regard (anyone have any data regarding this) but I still doubt you can match the performance of an amp.
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What if I don't have an AV receiver? I can't use an amp connecting directly to the PS4 can I?
 
mckmas8808 said:
What if I don't have an AV receiver? I can't use an amp connecting directly to the PS4 can I?
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you'll probably need some kind of DAC if the amp doesn't have one built in since the ps4 has no analog output. you can get the base $100 schiit modi 2 and connect to the ps4 via usb which is a great option, then you can connect that to whatever amp you decide to go with.
 
Zack Zavage said:
Beyerdynamic DT 990 seems to be popular and cheaper than the 880. I'm considering getting a pair of those for variety.
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The other nice thing about the Beyers (990,880,770) is that they come in a variety of impedances. Also Pro versions which come without the flashy case, but with coiled cables, and cheaper. Which may or may not be important for you. There's even a special Drummers version of the 770s which have leather cups instead of velour. Probably because drummers get sweaty.

I recently picked up a pair of BeoPlays that are really nice, but I haven't had them long enough to critique properly. They're also $400-ish which was a stretch for me. They're really nicely put together though.
 
SillyEskimo said:
7.2 with 4 ceiling mounted speakers in addition to all the usual speakers.
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That's my current setup (Klipsh Reference), it's pretty awesome. Clearly outside of the listed budget. I'd go Astro in your case OP. I have a wireless Astro a50 and they are really good for the price.
 
It all depends on what your end game solution is. Audio can cost far more than an entire console library and it's best done in small parts and not just an all-in-one fail swoop ordeal.

If you live in an apartment, I'd invest in a decent set of cans and an amplifier to match. Sennheiser HD650 has served me well in this regard.

If you live in an open house, a "on the budget" speaker system is the Andrew Jones Pioneer Bookshelf speakers. You'll need a receiver but even that can be bought on a budget or used.

I'd buy one piece at a time.
 
probably should have mentioned headphones in the thread title in case people drive by and dont actually read the OP :)

anyhow. if the xbone controller is anything like ds4...headphones probably aren't going to sound great off them? do you already own a receiver that has a headphone port? that alone might make your xbone headphones sound better

i have the following setup ps4 > optical to turtle beach dss1 (i need this to get virtual 5.1 dolby headphone) > fidelio x2 headphones

works really great. rated as the best bang for your buck headphones in many recent reviews. great bass for an open headphone, decently wide soundstage, gets nice and loud just using the dss1 which only cost me $10. i literally can't go over 50% volume before it gets too loud for me. beats the pants off any closed gaming headsets outside of the mic convenience.

mic is a bit of a pain in the ass since i want to keep cabling to a minimum between couch and tv but its not too bad having to plug in earbuds to the ds4 and clipping the mic to my shirt whenever i play online.
 
Ok, so I recently got an Astro mix amp and the sennheiser Game Zero's because they were both on sale. I was able to grab them both for around $200. Now is the anything else that I need that would enhance my experience? I've seen people in this thread with several amps plugged into each other, does that help? They already sound much better than my a50's, I just want to make sure I'm not missing out on anything.
 
How could I upgrade a pair of Sennheiser HD 380 Pro ? (150€, closed, that I actually use for video editing/mixing and watching/listening stuff, really confortable) Is this a good base for gaming (console and PC in the future) that I could enhance with an amp or something or would there be a big leap with 200-300€ headphones with other stuff with it ?
 
Any decent headphone is good for gaming. If it can handle music it can handle games.

I use optical out from the tv to headphone amp. Then I can use whatever I want.
 
I have a question for this thread. I'm a complete noob as far as sound. The most high-end piece of gear I have are the Kingston HyperX Cloud II's (I know, I know). They came with a DAC and it's the first DAC I've ever used and even that cheap, humble DAC is blowing me away.

So now I want a decent DAC that I can use on my PS4 and PC and move it around when I want to. Would these DragonFly DAC be a viable solution for me? Why or why not? What else would you recommend?

I need it to be portable and no more than $150. I'm also not interested in new cans right now.
 
wanderjahr said:
I have a question for this thread. I'm a complete noob as far as sound. The most high-end piece of gear I have are the Kingston HyperX Cloud II's (I know, I know). They came with a DAC and it's the first DAC I've ever used and even that cheap, humble DAC is blowing me away.

So now I want a decent DAC that I can use on my PS4 and PC and move it around when I want to. Would these DragonFly DAC be a viable solution for me? Why or why not? What else would you recommend?

I need it to be portable and no more than $150. I'm also not interested in new cans right now.
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Fiio E17 Alpen 2 USB DAC + Amp

Edit- someone on Head-Fi loves the Dragonfly: http://www.head-fi.org/t/617241/audioquest-dragonfly-review-affordable-outstanding-tiny-dac-amp

It seems really good, but I've never used it.
 
wanderjahr said:
Thanks for the quick reply! I'll add the E17K to my (long) list of devics to consider. Fiio seems to be a brand I see a lot in threads like these.
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It's because FiiO offers great value for the price.

You'll have to pay much, much more money to get something significantly audibly better than an E17 or so. Four-figure easily. And even then you might prefer the sound of the cheaper devices since sound perception is highly subjective, especially in Hi-Fi / high-end scope.

Also, don't let yourself be fooled with all that virtual surround sound stuff. It's can be helpful for competitive purposes imo, i. e. localizing enemies in shooters and such. But in the end it's still stereo sound that comes out of your headphones, altered by some proprietary psychoacoustic software algorithms at the cost of audio fidelity / quality in most cases. On the top of that, it doesn't even work for some people as I've heard. They're just immune to the effect.

Please do yourself a favor and go for pure stereo. That'll save you a lot of time, headaches and even money provided you're crazy enough about audio fidelity / quality.

You may know it already, but just in case. I highly recommend visiting head-fi.org, in particular this guide. That place is the best resource for headphone related stuff out there.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...uide-5-31-2015-beyer-cop-and-shure-1540-added
 
HundredEyeMonk said:
Wow, thanks for all of the posts guys. I appreciate it.

And I should have been more clear, I apologize. Definitely looking for a headphone solution. And running an optical cable isn't a problem.
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I'm going to have to recommend Sennheiser headphones as well. I have the rather basic Sennheiser HD model (don't recall the number) and run it through an old Sony receiver. They sound super clear and just great all around.

I started playing Bloodborne with this setup after about an hour of regular TV sound and never once went back. Absolutely fantastic.
 
LordofPwn said:
Headphones are great until you can get a proper speaker setup and realize headphones can't do bass worth shit.
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Nothing beats the feeling of the kick drum breezing past your legs, and punching you in the gut. Man I miss clubbing. Good sub-bass can be life altering.
 
inpHilltr8r said:
Nothing beats the feeling of the kick drum breezing past your legs, and punching you in the gut. Man I miss clubbing. Good sub-bass can be life altering.
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Since I live in an apartment I'm stuck on using my Sennheisers. They sound great but nothing beats that bass thump in your chest. Especially when playing a game with great sounds like Battlefield.
 
Zack Zavage said:
It's because FiiO offers great value for the price.

You'll have to pay much, much more money to get something significantly audibly better than an E17 or so. Four-figure easily. And even then you might prefer the sound of the cheaper devices since sound perception is highly subjective, especially in Hi-Fi / high-end scope.

Also, don't let yourself be fooled with all that virtual surround sound stuff. It's can be helpful for competitive purposes imo, i. e. localizing enemies in shooters and such. But in the end it's still stereo sound that comes out of your headphones, altered by some proprietary psychoacoustic software algorithms at the cost of audio fidelity / quality in most cases. On the top of that, it doesn't even work for some people as I've heard. They're just immune to the effect.

Please do yourself a favor and go for pure stereo. That'll save you a lot of time, headaches and even money provided you're crazy enough about audio fidelity / quality.

You may know it already, but just in case. I highly recommend visiting head-fi.org, in particular this guide. That place is the best resource for headphone related stuff out there.

http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad...uide-5-31-2015-beyer-cop-and-shure-1540-added
Click to expand...

i'd slightly disagree with this. on a quality set of headphones, i personally prefer virtual 5.1 (in my case dolby headphones) over stereo. gives the sound a lot more depth and positional accuracy. what's lost in audio quality is negligible to me. that's just my preference though. maybe for someone who has better ears stereo might be the preferred way to go.
 
henhowc said:
i'd slightly disagree with this. on a quality set of headphones, i personally prefer virtual 5.1 (in my case dolby headphones) over stereo. gives the sound a lot more depth and positional accuracy. what's lost in audio quality is negligible to me. that's just my preference though. maybe for someone who has better ears stereo might be the preferred way to go.
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I see your point since I have been using Dolby Headphone (Astro Mixamp Pro) for gaming for about a year as well (in rotation with my E17). It's arguably a matter of preference but the loss in fidelity is undeniable. But since this thread is about immersion and not fidelity, it's definitely worth trying out for the OP. The link in my last post provides a number of sample videos on youtube whose sound has been encoded with Dolby Headphone using multichannel sound as a source. The effect should work with any halfway average headphones out there, so the OP can decide for himself if whether this is what he wants or not.

I'm no sound engineer nor can I professionally describe sound, but given the way I personally see 'depth' in sound, I'd say my E17 was way ahead of the Astro Mixamp Pro, even when hooked up to my amp (E09k).

My decisive moment has been in a mission of CoD Ghosts called 'into the deep' when a submarine rushes over the players head, creating a very bass intense and deep sound effect. My Astro Mixamp DSP totally freaked out on it, resulting in cracky sound and dropouts. I tried it again, same result. First I thought my headphones were broken so I replayed it but this time with my E17. No problem at all. The sound was reproduced correctly, but not only that. As always, it sounded even richer and more engaging than my Astro DSP. This has never happened before with my Astro but it was my last reason to drop it and completely switch to my E17, so I sold it.

Maybe my Astro was faulty. Maybe it just couldn't handle those low frequences. I cannot tell for sure. But I suspect its the fault of my Beyer DT 880's. Their sound characteristics are very clean and neutral, which is why some do even call them boring and sterile. Maybe they're just too sensitive for the Astro DSP. After all, the Astro Mixamp is intended to be used with an Astro Gaming-Headset, not with an HiFi-headphone.
 
I own the AKG Q701's and they also get my recommendation, although you'll need a decent amp to drive them properly.

While on topic... anyone know what is the cheapest way/device to get Dolby Headphone for virtual surround?
 
Nekrono said:
I own the AKG Q701's and they also get my recommendation, although you'll need a decent amp to drive them properly.

While on topic... anyone know what is the cheapest way/device to get Dolby Headphone for virtual surround?
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You mean a device to get Dolby 5.1 virtual for headphones?

In that case, the Turtle Beach Earforce DSS (version 1) goes for $15 on Amazon. It has built in volume controls and is powered by USB.
 
I use the sennheiser pc360 open back headset/mic. Really great quality overall. None of the 5.1 stuff. Just 2 great drivers and a good mic. They sell a good quality (though overpriced) Y splitter that combines the mic and headphone jack for plugging into Console gamepads

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003DA4D2U/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think prices have gone up on them. I don't remember paying that much.
 
Keep saving then buy a Creative X7, and connect it to your console via optical out. Then, buy AKG K7XX (or K712) and plug in directly to 1/4" headphone jack on the X7.

The X7 converts Dolby Digital 5.1 surround to play through stereo headphones, and the quality of the components on the X7 are audiophile grade. I recently was using a Mixamp with a separate headphone amplifier, and the X7 crushes the Mixamp on sound quality. Best gaming purchase since my Panny plasma (RIP).
 
Lower budget: Sennheiser 598s plugged into your AVR.

Higher budget: headphone amp/sky's the limit depending on budget.
 
NJShadow said:
I personally roll with ATH-M50's. The newer models (with 'x' in the name) have a detachable chord too. Probably the best pair of cans in the sub-$200 genre, and ultra comfortable.

Here is my review of them on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/?ie=UTF8&ref_=ya_your_reviews&sort_by=MostRecentReview
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Plus the 50x have sorted out the treble issue (hard and somewhat standing out) that plagued the regular M50. Now everything sounds well integrated.
 
Think I'm going to try AT M50X since I don't care about the mic and want to use them for both movies and gaming.

Just one question: Is Turtle Beach DSS2 the way to go? Read that Creative E1 is fairly good too. Experiences or opinions?

Edit: The A40 2nd Generation+MixAmp is on sale now for the same price as the M50X+DSS2. Is the A40 combo a better choice just in terms of sound?
 
So while I am LOVING these AD900x's right now, I haven't tried them with my console yet, just my computer. The clarity is SUPERB. Here is the equalizer setting I'm running with in VLC, and it seems just about perfect. While I've only been using them with music and movies thus far, they're really quite impressive.

G9eJx.jpg
 
I found these Sennheiser 558 for $79 @ best buy right now.

Would anyone recommend these? Also what amp would I use to connect these on Xbox one with Mic?
 
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