Gaming headset

Fakman87

Hey guys,

I'm looking to buy a gaming headset. I have a set of sennheiser momentum over ears and I'm unsure whether I should buy a mod mic and sound card for these or just buy a pair of astro a50's. Hoping you guys have some advice for me.

Thanks.

yimrsg

You don't say what your budget is or what you'll use them for (movies, music) and what games you'll play. Here's what I use and works for me.

If you're in a loud area look at beyerdynamic dt770s, they're big but very good at isolating you from external sound. Also they'd be perfect for adding a modmic as they're a closed back. For movies and games these are very good as you do get to feel like you're there. The good isolation means they do grip your head somewhat but not in an unpleasant way as the velour pads are very forgiving. Build quality is top notch and replacement ear pads are easy to come by.

I've got a pair of sennheiser 598s and they're very good too. Poor isolation compared to the 770s but if you're in a quiet area they'll shine. Lighter and less intrusive to wear than the 770s they wouldn't suit the modmic as you'd have to attach it near or on the grill which might affect sound quality. These are very good for more relaxed music and long gaming sessions. It's not as robust as the 770 but it's still not likely to break if you're careful. Replacement earpads aren't as easy to get.

Between the two of them I'm very happy as it covers a lot of my requirements.

I use a snowball mic and am very happy with it. I toyed with the idea of getting a modmic but the many different versions and the additional cable going to the headphone along with limiting my selection of headphones meant it wasn't for me.

BloodBath

-Edit- Scratch that. I overlooked that you had good pair of headphones already. Maybe just get a sound card or DAC and mod mic instead.

It depends on your budget. The majority of gaming headsets are crap.

The HyperX Cloud 1 or 2 are getting a lot of good reviews though. If you have a good sound card or DAC get the Hyper X 1, if not get the 2.

I was going to get the 2 but decided to grab a sound card or dac and the 1's instead.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Mobile/dp/B00JJNQG98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442156907&sr=8-1&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Mobile/dp/B00SAYCVTQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442156907&sr=8-4&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

Review

challengemaster

TBH onboard sound is so good these days that a sound card makes very little difference for gaming. Article on it here:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/sound-cards-do-they-really-enhance-pc-gaming/

Unless you're buying it for music or movie purposes, the money is better spent elsewhere.

Fakman87

Thanks a lot for the help lads. So if I was to just use the sennheiser momentums I already have should I just get a desk mic like the snowball and then I'd be good to go? Or do I need to get an amp/sound card as well?

BloodBath

challengemaster wrote: »

TBH onboard sound is so good these days that a sound card makes very little difference for gaming. Article on it here:

http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/sound-cards-do-they-really-enhance-pc-gaming/

Unless you're buying it for music or movie purposes, the money is better spent elsewhere.

Onboard is fine for most people with cheap headphones. However if you have good headphones you will definitely benefit from a good sound card or dac.

You get good amplification, crisper sound and positional 3d audio for games which you won't get with onboard sound.

That's with a good sound card or Dac though. Around €60-100+.

I'm in the market for headphones and a Dac or soundcard as well. I haven't decided which yet. There is a lot of conflicting info on the topic.

Skerries

BloodBath wrote: »

-Edit- Scratch that. I overlooked that you had good pair of headphones already. Maybe just get a sound card or DAC and mod mic instead.

It depends on your budget. The majority of gaming headsets are crap.

The HyperX Cloud 1 or 2 are getting a lot of good reviews though. If you have a good sound card or DAC get the Hyper X 1, if not get the 2.

I was going to get the 2 but decided to grab a sound card or dac and the 1's instead.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Mobile/dp/B00JJNQG98/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442156907&sr=8-1&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

http://www.amazon.co.uk/HyperX-Cloud-Gaming-Headset-Mobile/dp/B00SAYCVTQ/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1442156907&sr=8-4&keywords=hyper+x+cloud

Review

yeah these seem to be the go to headsets to get these days

BloodBath

When I say dac I mean external dac as well. External seems to be the way to go but only certain models offer decent 3d audio if that's important to you.

The Asus Xonar U5 or U7 seems to fit the bill for under €100 but Creative also make some good competing products and have better EAX support.

The Jury's out.

Fakman87

Skerries wrote: »

yeah these seem to be the go to headsets to get these days

Would astro a50's be a lot better than these?

challengemaster

BloodBath wrote: »

Onboard is fine for most people with cheap headphones. However if you have good headphones you will definitely benefit from a good sound card or dac.

You get good amplification, crisper sound and positional 3d audio for games which you won't get with onboard sound.

That's with a good sound card or Dac though. Around €60-100+.

I'm in the market for headphones and a Dac or soundcard as well. I haven't decided which yet. There is a lot of conflicting info on the topic.

Utter load of bollox. It's all marketing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0

Positional 3d audio has been around since 1990. I've had "positional 3d audio" in UT2004 for the last 10+ years, using onboard sound and a variety of cheap-midrange headsets. You do not need a soundcard for gaming. Ever.

BloodBath

challengemaster wrote: »

Utter load of bollox. It's all marketing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1rXcJuEsy0

Positional 3d audio has been around since 1990. I've had "positional 3d audio" in UT2004 for the last 10+ years, using onboard sound and a variety of cheap-midrange headsets. You do not need a soundcard for gaming. Ever.

It really isn't but please continue basing your opinion on 1 video you watched. I've watched that too as well as a few dozen others and a few dozen articles/reviews. There is enough conflicting info on the topic to make your brain melt. I'll do the testing myself when I get whatever I get.

There are a **** load of products and variables. No 1 source has all the info needed to make an informed decision on this. It's very subjective. Which makes it all the harder to choose with so much conflicting information.

Creative pretty much own the license for EAX so no you don't get it with onboard audio but most games don't even use it anymore anyway. The rest use dolby surround which is possibly a better option now with the poor EAX support but it's still crap on onboard audio.

Why completely discount the thousands of reviews online stating the massive difference between good sound cards/dacs and their onboard sound. It's all a placebo right?

challengemaster

BloodBath wrote: »

It really isn't but please continue basing your opinion on 1 video you watched. I've watched that too as well as a few dozen others and a few dozen articles/reviews. There is enough conflicting info on the topic to make your brain melt. I'll do the testing myself when I get whatever I get.

One video posted does not equal one video watched

10 years using onboard sound and having better aural capacity/awareness than players with soundcards is a pretty big factor in my opinion though.

There are a **** load of products and variables. No 1 source has all the info needed to make an informed decision on this. It's very subjective. Which makes it all the harder to choose with so much conflicting information.

The fact any difference is subjective should be ringing alarm bells straight away. That's instantly saying you're spending a ton of money on something that "might" work.

Creative pretty much own the license for EAX so no you don't get it with onboard audio but most games don't even use it anymore anyway. The rest use dolby surround which is possibly a better option now with the poor EAX support but it's still crap on onboard audio.

I wasn't talking about EAX or any other fancy advertising crap that creative/dolby/etc have come up with. I was talking about literal positional 3d audio - which you get in all games by having 2 ears (and a stereo headset). Everything else is marketing.

Why completely discount the thousands of reviews online stating the massive difference between good sound cards/dacs and their onboard sound. It's all a placebo right?

Placebo is some of it. A lot of people also won't swallow their pride and admit things don't work when they've spent money on it. As mentioned in that video, a lot of people also associate louder = better.

When there is no actual quantifiable evidence to say something works, and even in blind audio testing there is no perceivable difference - then IMO it doesn't work. That money is much better spent on a good headset.

cadete

I have the hyper x2 and a50s, both different but I find the actual sound exceptional on both, hyper are light we'll build and comfortable, a50 have wireless heavier but equally comfortable, if u don't need wireless go hyper x

TheDoc

Steelseries Sibera V2 or Kingston Hyper X would be my recommendation.

Kingston are coming on well, and rightly so they are a really good piece of kit. I've been using the Sibera's for as long as I can remember and can't fault them. Comfortable for long sessions, good sound quality and a clear mic. I've owned two pairs in about ten years, the first set breaking when I accidentally sat on them So they are plenty durable too.

Normally you can grab a pair on sale from Amazon germany or the likes for €40-50 which is ridiculously good value. they normally retail at €70 which is good in itself, and the newer versions with fancy lights will set you back about €110-120

In relation to the above debate, I've never invested in a sound card or anything and have been fine. I can appreciate there is some benefits from dedicated sound cards etc., but I found the gains so minimal and barely noticable that it was never worth the investment for me. i'm not an audiophile, so I never really come around to the extra costs involved with sound cards or high end headphones etc. I've a relative who is in the music business always trying to convert me to his ways, but it's not for me.

Desktop mics and mod mics are pretty good, but I'm not sure its worth anyones while unless you are making youtube content or like a high viewing streamer. I've heard myself back on youtube vids and streams with my siberia mic, and it's pretty crystal clear and high quality.

Fakman87

Lads I got a great deal on a second hand pair of a50's today. The guy told me that I need a sound card with optical out on it to use them. Is this true?

Xenoronin

http://www.astrogaming.co.uk/a50-wireless-headset/A50-WIRELESS-HEADSET-ASTRO-GEN2-PC.html
These?

Looks like optical out is if you want to use passthrough. No expert, but I think that's only necessary if you want to connect a pair of speakers from the same sound source.

BloodBath

challengemaster wrote: »

One video posted does not equal one video watched

10 years using onboard sound and having better aural capacity/awareness than players with soundcards is a pretty big factor in my opinion though.

The fact any difference is subjective should be ringing alarm bells straight away. That's instantly saying you're spending a ton of money on something that "might" work.

I wasn't talking about EAX or any other fancy advertising crap that creative/dolby/etc have come up with. I was talking about literal positional 3d audio - which you get in all games by having 2 ears (and a stereo headset). Everything else is marketing.

Placebo is some of it. A lot of people also won't swallow their pride and admit things don't work when they've spent money on it. As mentioned in that video, a lot of people also associate louder = better.

When there is no actual quantifiable evidence to say something works, and even in blind audio testing there is no perceivable difference - then IMO it doesn't work. That money is much better spent on a good headset.

Fair enough you are entitled to your opinion. I'm willing to give it a go and see what I think myself.

Leaning towards the hyper X cloud and a creative sound blaster Z card now. Maybe I'm better off spending the €70 the card costs on a better set of headphones but without a better amp/dac to drive them it's kinda pointless and I want to try the virtual surround in a few games.

Fakman87

Xenoronin wrote: »

http://www.astrogaming.co.uk/a50-wireless-headset/A50-WIRELESS-HEADSET-ASTRO-GEN2-PC.html
These?

Looks like optical out is if you want to use passthrough. No expert, but I think that's only necessary if you want to connect a pair of speakers from the same sound source.

Thanks man, I think they might be the newer model but I'll check it out.

BloodBath

Fakman87 wrote: »

Lads I got a great deal on a second hand pair of a50's today. The guy told me that I need a sound card with optical out on it to use them. Is this true?

Aren't these 7.1 headphones supposed to be crap. Audiophiles will tell you they are terrible because of the small drivers inside them which can't reproduce sound properly which is shown in their poor frequency response.

For the kind of money they cost they are pretty damn awful. The HyperX cloud has better specs for 25% of the price.

Also the Astros battery is non replaceable from what I've read. Buying them second hand is a big no no.

grindle

Fakman87 wrote: »

The guy told me that I need a sound card with optical out on it to use them. Is this true?

You did get the MixAmp with them, yeah?

Luck100

BloodBath wrote: »

Aren't these 7.1 headphones supposed to be crap. Audiophiles will tell you they are terrible because of the small drivers inside them which can't reproduce sound properly which is shown in their poor frequency response.

For the kind of money they cost they are pretty damn awful. The HyperX cloud has better specs for 25% of the price.

Also the Astros battery is non replaceable from what I've read. Buying them second hand is a big no no.

For gaming, I actually like the 7.1 headsets. The surround effect works pretty well - you can tell which side somebody is coming from in BF4 and be ready to blast them when they pop through the door. For music, audiophile headphones are definitely better provided you match them up with the appropriate dac/amp or soundcard. But personally, I prefer using decent speakers to any kind of headphones. I only end up using my gaming headset when I need a mic or I need to keep it quiet at night.

Fakman87

BloodBath wrote: »

Aren't these 7.1 headphones supposed to be crap. Audiophiles will tell you they are terrible because of the small drivers inside them which can't reproduce sound properly which is shown in their poor frequency response.

For the kind of money they cost they are pretty damn awful. The HyperX cloud has better specs for 25% of the price.

Also the Astros battery is non replaceable from what I've read. Buying them second hand is a big no no.

Too late I already bought them but I got them for €80 so shouldn't be hard to break even if I end up going for Hyper X Clouds later.

grindle wrote: »

You did get the MixAmp with them, yeah?

Yes but he showed me the optical in part on the MixAmp and said I have to connect that to a sound card. So confused.

BloodBath

Fakman87 wrote: »

Too late I already bought them but I got them for €80 so shouldn't be hard to break even if I end up going for Hyper X Clouds later.



Yes but he showed me the optical in part on the MixAmp and said I have to connect that to a sound card. So confused.

Ah yeah. Well it's all subjective anyway and for that price you did good. They won't lose any resale value.

Genghiz Cohen

BloodBath wrote: »

Aren't these 7.1 headphones supposed to be crap. Audiophiles will tell you they are terrible because of the small drivers inside them which can't reproduce sound properly which is shown in their poor frequency response.

Plantronics 780's only have 2 drivers and the 7.1 is simulated.
Great sound out of them, uncomfortable for me though.

BloodBath

Genghiz Cohen wrote: »

Plantronics 780's only have 2 drivers and the 7.1 is simulated.
Great sound out of them, uncomfortable for me though.

2 driver is all you want. The true 7.1's are terrible because they have several really small drivers that can't do base at all.

The a50's also only have 2 but they are still small at 40mm. The clouds have 53mm drivers.