Headset Halp! MKIIs or Corsair HS1s?!?

[bpgt64]

Ok, so here's the issue. I do a fair amount of SC2/Mafia II/Waiting for Batman GOTY ed to go on sale/and FPS gaming on the PC, and recently hooked my 360 up to one of my computer monitors and I am enjoying Halo Reach at the moment. I have a Sound Blaster Fatal1ty Sound Xi-Fi Titanium Sound card, on a Gigabyte- X58A-UD5 motherboard, i7 920(3.6ghz).

I am doing this primarily because I broke the desktop mic I was using, and had to ninja my wifes for the time being, and I'd like a new headset that has an attached micro

Option A, Go with existing hardware, and get;
Creative-Labs-HS-980-Fatal1ty-Professional

Option B, Go with the newly reviewed Corsair HS1;
http://www.legitreviews.com/article/1416/1/
http://gizmodo.com/5629748/corsairs-hs1-usb-gaming-headset-is-comfortable
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/peripherals/2010/09/11/corsair-hs1-review/1


However, my question is could I sell my existing sound card, since it would be using USB instead of 35mm connections. Or would I still need the Sound Card to drive and manage sound output? I am fairly certain I could get rid of the sound card and use the on board, but I am worried about the...Buzzing sound that might come along with it.

Any ideas?

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Oh dear god don't go for any fatal1ty product. Also, are you primarily a gamer, do you listen to music during games? This thread should be helpful for you: Creative MKII - FiiO E5 amp?

 

[NinkobEi]

yeah we just had a huge discussion on the same topic not long ago ;P I believe my headphone advice was the ad700.

 

[bpgt64]

Well, these would be for games, taking my Sennheiser HD 280s to work. I would be using this at home for mostly gaming. I have a pre-order on the Corsair HS1, because I need a replacement mic, and the reviews on it are ridiculous so..yea

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Well, these would be for games, taking my Sennheiser HD 280s to work. I would be using this at home for mostly gaming. I have a pre-order on the Corsair HS1, because I need a replacement mic, and the reviews on it are ridiculous so..yea

I personally am through with the gaming headset thing. I am a pretty big gamer myself, but I listen to music as well. Music wins.

However, I would love to find a nice headset to game with, the Corsair HS1 got fine reviews, go for it. I have never owned a Corsair audio product, but I am sure they are good if the reviews say they are good. I still recommend the Senn 555's!

 

[NinkobEi]

yep I wish the best for you. my flame for this argument has died down. in the end you will really choose what you want rather than what someone else will suggest anyway. good luck!

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

yep I wish the best for you. my flame for this argument has died down. in the end you will really choose what you want rather than what someone else will suggest anyway. good luck!

I agree entirely. You really need to hear each you want you buy. Since that is near impossible you just have to ask around to what type of games people play, and what they use. Some people like to hear where everything is coming from, and be enclosed in their game. If that, get closed air. I personally like to know what is going on around me in the real world, so I like open air. They sound much better also, but you can hear what is going on around you so be wary! It really depends on your tastes, Ninkobwi is correct.

 

[bpgt64]

yep I wish the best for you. my flame for this argument has died down. in the end you will really choose what you want rather than what someone else will suggest anyway. good luck!

Well, it's just a pre-order, Corsair doesn't have a street date yet. But just about every site has said the corsairs are the best they have ever seen. A link to the product you would like me to take a look at would also be nice. I would definitly consider the AD700's if I was replacing my Sennheisers, which I am not. The MKII's and the Corsair's are gaming headsets. Hence the original paragraph where I state I am looking for an attached microphone for the headset. Now that I re-read my first paragraph, I guess I wasn't clear enough, my bad.

 

[NinkobEi]

Well, it's just a pre-order, Corsair doesn't have a street date yet. But just about every site has said the corsairs are the best they have ever seen. A link to the product you would like me to take a look at would also be nice. I would definitly consider the AD700's if I was replacing my Sennheisers, which I am not. The MKII's and the Corsair's are gaming headsets. Hence the original paragraph where I state I am looking for an attached microphone for the headset. Now that I re-read my first paragraph, I guess I wasn't clear enough, my bad.

I, too, have been a victim of not being clear. In the link PVT posted there is a simple mod to add a mic to the ad700 if you want a headset. Looking at the corsairs, however, they remind me a lot of the AD700s, and I wonder if they use Audiotechnica as their manufacturer.
But how good can the built-in soundcard be on the corsairs? Heck a decent sound card costs $100, more than the price of the headphones. I'm worried it will be on-par with onboard sound.

 

[Frederik S]

The Corsair headphones look like something I saw a long time ago being OEMed by some Chinese no name manufacturer. The build quality of the Creative headsets is generally bad like the sound quality they provide.

USB sound cards sound horrible and use inferior technology and components compared to integrated ones. 99% of all integrated sound cards sound better than relatively high priced USB ones.

 

[bpgt64]

Well, I have a Sound Blaster Professional Titanium Fatal1ty series card, I just was wondering if I could drop it and use the on board? If I get the Corsairs(the reservation can be cancelled at anytime, but what I am hearing is Creative headset is crap, so...any suggestions worth looking into? Heard Sennheiser HD 555s, no mic though, deal breaker...

 

[NinkobEi]

I know I said I would stay out of this..but here's a link for suggestion.
The only way a headphone can be USB is if it uses its own soundcard. You wouldnt be able to use the X-fi, to the best of my knowledge.
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/446329/fragtality-s-audio-technica-ad700-boom-mic-mod

 

[bpgt64]

Which is fine, just means I sell the card

 

[PVTCaboose1337]

Personally, for my computer, I use the basic onboard sound, on my laptop and on my motherboard. For the lowendness of the headset you are buying the card should be negligible. Now, if you have $400 headphones, that is a different story, which is why an amp resides between my computer and my HD595's / Grado SR-60's, but in all honesty, you would really have to be trying to tell the difference (in a game, in music, I can tell!).

PS: Frederik is a pretty big audiophile and knows his stuff. He is a regular on HeadFi as well, a place I recommend you go if you want the scoop on anything audio.

 

[bpgt64]

*nod*