Yet another headphone thread

It should work just fine. As long as you are plugging directly into the source with an optical cable.

The problem arises when you try to chain devices. For example, if your source outputs to a television and you have your Mixamp plugged into the television's optical out, you will only get stereo, unless the manufacturer has broken with convention and allowed 5.1 to pass through the television via optical unaltered.

The other problem arises when using an AV reciever. All will pass through 5.1 via HDMI (TVs as well), but most have no optical or coaxial output, so it forces you to use the TV optical out, which will only output to stereo.

What do people think of these headphones at 15% off?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...

heavyfeul wrote:

EDIT: Looks like they are a HD205 with a mic and a Dolby Headphone soundcard.

Almost guaranteed to be the exactly what they are.

Nice price disparity. $70 for the regular headphones. $180 for the headset version.

lol.

Thin_J wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

EDIT: Looks like they are a HD205 with a mic and a Dolby Headphone soundcard.

Almost guaranteed to be the exactly what they are.

Nice price disparity. $70 for the regular headphones. $180 for the headset version.

lol.

Thats what upsets me about that lol Isn't it possible to get 5.1 if you connect your headphones (stereo) to this into your pcs optical out (granted it does dolby digital 5.1, that you can get the same dolby digital 5.1 experience? Idk, I was looking into this stuff about suround for a while and it seems that all these gaming headsets with mics do (generally with software or headphone to optical or usb) is just mock a surround sound experience in average headphones and slap a mic on there.
I am too cheap at the moment to purchase any new gear but if I were to do so I would look at this guy or get a good mid range set of head phones like the ones above that Thin J showed, and plug them into a converter (granted your mobo or sound card does the dolby 5.1) that I linked to, and get yourself a small lapel mic. I am currently running my Phillips Downtowns from the HD realtek audio "quadrophonic" setting, and got a cheap yet decent lapel mic. I am a bit torn myself on which route to go to be honest, i might pick up one of the converters and test it out. If I do I will fill you guys in on the results.

I know these are not traditionally PC sets, but has anyone considered DT 770 or higher?

I'm very pleased with mine. Phenominal sound but a tad expensive.

Do the site a favor and search for them in their Amazon search box.

A win win for everyone

EvilShawnAndrich wrote:

I know these are not traditionally PC sets, but has anyone considered DT 770 or higher?

I'm very pleased with mine. Phenominal sound but a tad expensive.

Do the site a favor and search for them in their Amazon search box.

A win win for everyone ;)

You're in the right thread.

I'm actually using DT-990 Premium 600 ohm's on a Little Dot MKIII Tube amp right now

Beyerdynamic are great gaming headphones, but their headsets have a similar mark-up to Sennheiser's. They repurpose their significantly cheaper (although excellent) headphones as PC headsets too.

If you are looking specifically for an integrated microphone solution, then Sennheiser will offer more options at various price points.

Sennheiser makes some of the best headphones on the planet. It should be a safe buy, but I am only familiar with the "PC" series headsets.

The model you linked to looks familiar. It looks like a repurposed midrange headphone they have made for years, but I cannot remember the model name. If it is the one I am thinking of then it is a bit overpriced, which is typical for them (add a mic. and charge a premium), but there really is no other competition in that class of headsets. Sennheiser's drivers are phenomenal.

EDIT: Looks like they are a HD205 with a mic and a Dolby Headphone soundcard.

EDIT: PC333D breakdown. Headphone (HD205-$70); Stereo Headset (PC330-$110); Dolby Headset (PC333D-$180).

Thin J and heavyfeul, what do you guys use for your gaming set ups? I'd like to get a feel of what others use for gaming specifically

Sennheiser HD 595 and an Astro Mixamp.

I use AKG K702's with a Maverick headphone amp and DAC. I use a Blue Snowflake microphone that sits atop one of my monitors. The VOIP quality is pretty good, but it does pick up some ambient noise if I'm not careful to use push to talk. My setup is geared primarily for music listening, but I love it for gaming, too.

Speaking of the Maverick Audio headphone amp (A1) and DAC (D2). After using them for well over a year, I can't really fully recommend them. I've just had too many minor issues. The DAC works great, but when I switch from USB input to optical, the optical LED will flicker for a bit before becoming fully illuminated. Switching between speakers and headphones with the headphone amp continues to be a bit finicky regarding how you unplug the headphones. I've got it figured out, but it doesn't work perfectly. The sound is great, at least, so I have no intention of replacing them any time soon.

So, because of the little issues, I can't really recommend them. I figured that I would give a quick update.

Audio Technica ATH-AD700 and a Zalman clip-on mic. The only thing with the mic is that the clip is a fixed width apart, so I have to fold over the collar of my t-shirt to get it to clip securely.

My gaming headphone setup is kind of varied.

At my PC if I'm doing multiplayer or anything with voice chat I use either Audiotechnica ATH-AD700's or ATH-A900's, and I have an Antlion Modmic that I use with those.

If I'm playing singleplayer games and don't need voice I use my Beyerdynamic DT-990's.

And if I'm playing my 360, odds are I'm using one of the two Audiotechnica headphones and the same Antlion modmic, but through an Astro Mixamp instead of the Soundcard/LittleDot MKIII combo.

*People still turn their nose up at the modmic because it seems pricey at $30 for how it looks, but it's by far the best solution out there for adding a mic to another set of headphones. There is no competition that comes close.

You either get raked over the coals for a headset with a built in mic that won't be as good as any number of combos you can put together with the modmic, or you deal with a crappy addon mic like the Zalman that just got mentioned that has a... let's say spotty reputation at best. I had one and it was trouble from start to finish.

complexmath wrote:

Audio Technica ATH-AD700...

I love those headphones. I had a pair and they sounded amazing. Plus, they are inexpensive, but still durable and well crafted.

Thin_J wrote:

...and I have an Antlion Modmic that I use with those.

I second the recommendation for the Antlion. i picked one up based on this thread and have had no regrets.

Anybody familiar with the H/K CL's? Seemed like everybody had them on sale yesterday for $100 (50% off), and the reviews I found seemed positive. Sales are gone, but I admit I was tempted. I generally don't do on ear 'phones, but theses sound like they're comfortable.

IMAGE(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DOC%2BBATHL._SL500_AA300_.jpg)

Mannish: I gave them to my niece as a present a week ago. Tried them on at Best Buy where I bought them -- they were on display. Super comfy indeed and well made.

So I didn't really believe in the whole "burn-in for 100 hours" for headphones of any sort, but...

I've had a pair of Klipsch S4i IEM's for about 4 months, after I had to return the first pair when the wire gave out on one side. I use the set for about 10 hours a week or so and I've experienced a pretty significant change in the clarity and range of sounds I can hear with this set in the last week or so. This is on 160 kbps tracks that I've heard many times with this particular set of headphones - for example, the snare drums on No Leaf Clover have moved from the background to front & center of the soundstage (almost distractingly so).

So yeah, I'd recommend this set if you are looking for a pair of IEM's to go with your iPhone but be ready to give it some time before it really settles in (God I sound like such a twat when I say that ).

So I didn't notice really any (aside from the astro mixamp set up) any set ups that really try to get surround sound into your mixes, do you guys feel like your missing out or is it all just hogwash?

For me, I'd rather just go with higher quality stereo sound. If your headphones have a nice big soundstage and the stereo mix is good, you can hear where sounds are coming from. I don't play FPSs competitively, though, so in that situation, having a virtual 5.1 mix going to the headphones might be worthwhile. I would think that a good stereo headphone mix that comes with the game should be a virtual 5.1 mix. I don't know if that's the case, though.

I was playing though Crysis 3 awhile back with headphones on and there were a couple times where I was: "Oh crap, there's a guy almost on top of me and he's just over there... Oh wait, those are just my footsteps." So, I dunno if that was the mix, my setup, or just me.

I'm pretty sure most people agree that the headphones with multiple speakers are a gimmick and should be avoided.

Yeah, anyone serious about headphone gaming audio uses Dolby Headphones to emulate surround... as far as I know.

I started looking at the audio techinica ATH-AD700's, heres the thing, I have a small head, and I have heard complaints for us folks without huge noggins, is this as true as amazon reviews would have me to believe?

They are big headphones (but lightweight) with a very light clamp. It is how they are designed. It takes some getting used too, but the payoff is that they "disappear" after wearing them for a while. They use a set of "wings" that sit on the top and slightly on the side of your head. That means that the earcups do not clamp on your ears like most other circumaural headphones.

IMAGE(http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2523/3995640817_5862cdd0b1.jpg)
Sennheiser HD555 (left); Audio Technica ATH-AD700 (right)

heavyfeul wrote:

They are big headphones (but lightweight) with a very light clamp. It is how they are designed. It takes some getting used too, but the payoff is that they "disappear" after wearing them for a while.

So... you're saying they're not good for listening to metal?

heavyfeul wrote:

They are big headphones (but lightweight) with a very light clamp. It is how they are designed. It takes some getting used too, but the payoff is that they "disappear" after wearing them for a while. They use a set of "wings" that sit on the top and slightly on the side of your head. That means that the earcups do not clamp on your ears like most other circumaural headphones.

Gotya, a friend of mine actually just got a pair, I might force him to bring them into work so I can try them out.

thinkklinck wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

They are big headphones (but lightweight) with a very light clamp. It is how they are designed. It takes some getting used too, but the payoff is that they "disappear" after wearing them for a while. They use a set of "wings" that sit on the top and slightly on the side of your head. That means that the earcups do not clamp on your ears like most other circumaural headphones.

Gotya, a friend of mine actually just got a pair, I might force him to bring them into work so I can try them out.

That is by far the best choice really. Personally though, I love the split wing design. Using some Audiotechnicas and then going back to the regular headband on my Beyerdynamics makes me sad.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
heavyfeul wrote:

They are big headphones (but lightweight) with a very light clamp. It is how they are designed. It takes some getting used too, but the payoff is that they "disappear" after wearing them for a while.

So... you're saying they're not good for listening to metal? :)

Hah, nope They do feel a bit weird on the head initially. The tops of the earcups aren't as secure against my head as the bottoms, for example. But they're extremely comfortable and fit a surprisingly large range of head sizes. My 4 year old daughter has worn them and they still fit her pretty well. I do wish I could make the top band just a tiny bit smaller so they sat a bit higher on my head (the top of the ear cups tend to sit just above the top of my ear), but that's nit picking really.

Alright, I'll come and ask the gurus. I'm looking for a pair of over ear or on ear that has good sound quality without breaking the bank. Not using them to game necessarily, mostly music st work and on travel, so ability to be compact a plus. Any help is a plus as I'm getting desparate. I was even looking at a pair of Beats today!

obirano wrote:

I was even looking at a pair of Beats today!

Stop. You can get the same sound quality (and often better) for less money than Beats across their entire lineup of headphones.

You say "without breaking the bank" but then say you were looking at Beats. What's your price ceiling?

My first thought went to the V-Moda Crossfade at about $100.

I'm willing to go to 200, but not really beyond that. As I do a decent amount of travel, the case was a plus.