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Jul 26, 2009, 06:52 AM
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*TPU's Gaming Headphone/Headset Thread*
I was thinking, we've had a few headphone/headset threads out there, and yet we don't have a good reference thread. So that's what this thread will be dedicated to, is what headphones/headsets you've used for gaming purposes, what you liked/disliked, what you replaced them with, what source/sound card you're using, etc. We might not have an audio section yet, but this thread could be helpful to many looking to get better sound or replace their busted headsets. Please no arguements, flaming, trolling, thread-crapping of any sort, if there is any it will be reported immediately to the moderation staff. This thread is to help others and post your experiences, everyone has a different ear for different sounds, games, movies and music, so don't expect because you had a good experience everyone will with the same setup.
THIS thread was created not just for me to write my own experiences, but for you to also add your experiences, whether or not a pair of heaphones or gaming headset has already been reviewed, add your experiences and opinoins of them and others, share with the community here and others just stopping by or lurking in the background! Donate to this thread and make it something for viewers to find a valuable resource in an area that's not nearly covered enough on TPU, sure there are other places to look, but I've seen nothing like this thread elsewhere and would like to see it be a useful thread worth keeping around. Here's my post format for each headphone/headset I've owned, you don't gotta use it if you don't want to, just something I've done for a while so it's habit. TPU Member Submitted Reviews!  Code:
[B ]Headphone[/B] - Smiley Rating - [I ]Mini-review[/I] Logitech Headset w/boom mic -  : - The Good:
The Bad:
The Review: This was my first pair of gaming headsets, back in 2006 iirc. Had 40mm drivers, in-line volume and mic mute controls. Issue one, was the small rotary style volume would bind, I had to dissassemble the in-line unit many times...the rotary was actually warped, I had to grind it down...and after too long it eventually caused a short issue. The final straw was when I lost all sound due to the volume control. Though they did last me about 14 months before finally failing. Note: The model linked is the replacement for the model I originally purchased, which is no longer available. I have not personally tested the replacement model. Summary: Spend a little more on a much better quality Plantronics product. Plantronics .Audio 350 (iirc) w/boom mic -  - The Good:
The Review: Purchased these the day the logitechs failed, I wanted to try something different. I had actually purchased a couple other logitech headsets and returned them, and tried a different brand I'd never heard of which was Plantronics. Similar setup, on-ear pads, was much more comfortable, the boom mic was semi-flexible and folded, had in-line volume control and mic mute. I never had an issue with these, in fact I still have them. They were very consistent in performance, but definately not the best out there. For a cheap headset, the durability is 2nd to none though. I expected it to be weaker because of it's 99% plastic build, and they've been through some rough times without so much as a couple of scratches. Though if I ever need a backup pair, and since I don't wear glasses they're somewhat comfy for about 1-2 hours, I'm golden, and since they were about 20 bucks I don't feel bad about storing them as a backup set. Summary: One of the best sub-$30 headsets I've ever had the pleasure of owning. LTB Magnum 5.1 AC97 -  - The Good:
The Review: I had high hopes for these, they were by far the most I'd ever spent on a gaming headset, but they features 5.1, 3 speakers in each cup. The front was also the sub, then center and surround...the amp was built into the cups, the mic was built into the lh cup, no boom though..it picked up everything...very bad for gaming and comms. There was also volume and mute buttons on the side of the LH cup, it had 4 3.5mm jacks + USB for amp power. They were ok, but nothing amazing, and eventually my first pair decided to lose the RH cup audio. Sent in for RMA, the 2nd set failed in 2 weeks all together, sent that set in, the 3rd set lasted me about a year and eventually had an issue where it'd lose the LH front channel and I'd have to smack the cup to get sound back. They were a pain to dissassemble, they got hot and uncomfortable after an hour or two, and were only good for gaming, though the positional audio left a lot to be desired. I hope noone else was as stupid as I was and gave these a shot...definately a big waste of money and time. Gave this pair to my fiance, she hated the random muting, and they pushed on her glasses so she couldn't use them much...but she wasn't gaming too much at the time so she was fine with them. Summary: Not worth $20 on a good day. Absolute crap in comparison to others whether 5.1 or not in it's price-range. Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA2 5.1 Rv.1 w/Wall Plug Power 2112 - - The Good:
The Review: My first experience with these was at a friends' house, he'd just downloaded the CoD4 demo and wanted me to check it out. I tried them on, they were comfy, the removable mic boom was perfect, the cups fit around my ears, the pads were very soft and nicely padded, and the sound was amazing, crisp hi's and booming lows. Made for a great experience in gaming and music. They feature 4 speakers per cup, front, center, rear, sub. They also feature in-line amplifier w/volume control and level control for each channel. They had 4x3.5mm jacks for audio connections and a wall-plug 120v for powering the amp. The LED on the amp unit itself was an annoyance, I usually taped over it. I ended up tossing these at a friend when he bought my x-fi xtreme music, his sound card went out and his dog chewed up his headset...perfect reason for me to replace them...only issue...I bought the same headset again because I was so content with it's performance in gaming, music and movies. Sound placement was great, overall I was really happy...though they were open backed, which meant sound leaked out and I could hear my fiance nagging at me.  Summary: Decent first try by Turtle Beach, though no longer in production. Turtle Beach Ear Force HPA2 5.1 Rv.2 w/USB Power 2114 - - The Good:
The Review: Well, I ordered up my new set as I mentioned above, when I recieved them, I was kinda curious how well the USB would power the amp in comparison to the wall-plug style. Nothing else physically seemed to have changed...I hooked them up to my new x-fi (found another xtreme music I had gotten to replace the one I sold, again, solid performer, found one cheap). I was amazed, the output was louder, clearer, the bass seemed to punch a little harder and go lower. Nothing else beyond that changed, the soundstage was still decent, or what I considered great at the time. I ran these for a long time before my fiance finally killed the LTB's and took these from me before I got home from work. But she loved them, they sounded way better, they didn't cause pain w/her glasses on...I don't have eye issues yet, so that's not an issue for me, but that gave me good reason to upgrade...I couldn't go for the HPA2's a 3rd time. So I considered other options, see this thread: Considering New Headset What ended up happening was me going for a decent pair of headphones for something new. But I also wanted to note that the Razer HP-1's are based on the HPA2, but from what I've read and researched are more expensive with a crappier amplifier and lesser quality. Not saying that's necessarily true, but I did find quite a bit about it while researching. Summary: 2nd revision of HPA2's are a joy to listen to for music, movies and gaming, matched with a decent sound card they can really shine. 5.1 is decent from a good source, plenty of bass. Definately worth a serious look for those that feel they "require" a "true 5.1" gaming headset. JVC HA-RX700 Headphones -  - The Good:
The Review: I wasn't sure what to expect, but if you read my considering new headset thread, I found a few threads that praised these cheap $33 shiped (at the time of this writing) pair of headphones as competing with much more expensive cans. There was a lot of good info, some mods, and they were half the price of the HPA2's so I figured I'd give them a go. Needless to say, I was blown away. Everything sounded better, they were comfortable, they went much louder, they had much lower bass that you felt, the mids and hi's were much more pronounced and identifiable...I noticed stuff in music I'd never heard before, sounds in games were clear and crisp. I had read that I could emulate 5.1 sound to my headphones using the CMMS-3D of my X-Fi. Naturally I had to compare this to my "true" 5.1 headset as the JVC's had 1 speaker per cup...and there were many headsets that were using 5.1/7.1 emulation I was very skeptical. Here's how you do it, go into Windows Control panel, Sound, speakers, set to 5.1. Then go into X-Fi control panel, game mode, headphone or 2.1 output, cmms-3d on. Set the game to either windows default or 5.1, and voila, now CMMS-3d will emulate 5.1 channels to your headphone...I gave it a shot in CoD4 and I was extremely suprised. The soundstage was huge in comparison to the HPA2's, sounds had distance to them, their placement was easily matching the HPA2's if not easier to locate, I was amazed. So far, I can't believe I spent so much on gaming headsets when a decent pair of headphones would do the trick. So how did I use a mic you ask? Because this pair of headphones is my gaming headset you see...all I did was get about 8ft of 3.5mm cable, routed it along my headphone cable round the desk, and zip-tied the end to the top support of the LH earcup, then I ordered a non-lock style boom mic for a Turtle Beach HPA2 (in replacement parts), plugged it in and had the crisp recording and adjustability of the HPA2 without much hassle at all, many also use a Zalman clip on cable mic too...but i did prefer the HPA2 mic, even though I failed to mention it above, it records clearly and cuts out a decent amount of background noise...though it will pickup some voices if they're a couple feet from ya, but aside from that, communication is great through that style of mic, and I wanted to keep it that way. Overall, this is the BEST gaming headset I've ever owned, it meets or beats the HPA2's in every aspect, from bass/mids/hi's to gaming, movies, you name it. I would definately recommend this to anyone that doesn't want to spend an arm and a leg on a gaming headset, even with the extra cable and mic I was under $50. But one word of caution, they don't sound too good from onboard unless it has a decent EQ...it'll need a healthy V shaped EQ at that. I am now currently running an Auzen X-Fi Forte that has an integrated heapdhone amp, which was a nice improvement over my X-Fi Xtreme Music, but even the old creative X-Fi trumped the onboard of my P5Q Deluxe AD2000 and GB P35-DS3L ALC885 onboard, no contest and it was VERY noticable. So having an add-in sound card is the way to go, and adding amplification be it a home reciever, headphone amp, amp/dac or sound card is greatly helpful and makes these headphones really shine. I did a couple of mods to mine, added some foam under the cusions not only for added comfort but it also increased the sound stage a bit and let the bass extend while letting it be more defined. I also did the felt removal mod to help clear up the mids/hi's, both were extremely easy to do and took no time at all to complete, but are not necessary at all to enjoy this set. Summary: For $33, you can't lose. They beat every gaming headset I've listened to in everything with the right source and features that is. Easy to drive, and a ton of information out there on them. I forgot why I wanted gaming headsets after owning these. JVC HA-DX3 Headphones - - The Good:
The Review: I wanted to see where I could go next from the RX700's, the DX3's seemed to be a fairly popular choice, they have good specs, solid build quality, metal cups, and are extremely comfortable. They actually look a tad similar to the build of the Turtle Beach HPA2's but better. On the sound front they definately bring out the mids and hi's, but I noticed right away there wasn't much on the bass front even with the same EQ-ing I used on the RX700's. Now the DX3's are 90 ohms compared to the 700's 48ohms (iirc), so they are a tad harder to drive. Frankly I feel this is the design of the DX3's, they're meant for more detail to be brought out and that does mean attenuating the bass down a bit. On the gaming front they have a larger soundstage than the RX700's, placement seems a little better, but not leaps and bounds. But overall they sound extremely good, but at this point I don't feel they were worth the retail price necessarily. Though many will definately enjoy them, and in fact I do...what suprised me most after getting these was just how good the RX700's truly are. TBH, save your money and try the RX700 first, both are good, but at least to me the 700's are easier and more enjoyable to listen to, even if less comfortable. One last note is that they leak more sound due to the cloth earpads, more comfort must mean more sound leak, oh well I still enjoy them! But when it comes down to just grabbing a pair of headphones to use, I reach for the RX700's almost every time. Summary: Very nice pair of headphones, not quite worth the money imo, but they bring out a lot of detail are very enjoyable for gaming, extremely comfortable for many hours of use. Wait till you can find them for around $70-80 imo. Now I've tried more than I've purchased including a few more plantronics, turtle beaches, logitechs, skull candy, bose, sony, etc...but I really only wanted to comment on the ones I owned and had a decent amount of use on. I hope this thread grows and can help many others while in search of something new, I may change the format to add more info/links, I haven't decided yet, but I figured I'd get the ball rollin and see what you guys come up with, what are you using? How do you like it? What else have you used/owned? Post it up here! Denon AH-D2000 Headphones - - The Good:
The Review: Well I loved the DX3's comfort and overall higher quality sound, but loved the RX700's value and serious and punchy bass with an overall good sound...but I wanted both. I now realize that will cost over $200 new, a little under used. But...is it an amazing experience...at least to me. I'm no audiophile, but I really enjoy something that can provide what I'm looking for, and that responds well to my setup. Granted I have a sound card with a heapdhone amp built-in...it's not the best but was much, much less than any close competitor at the time I purchased it. Either rate, the Auzen Forte is great for all I do...plus it was affordable...yet could better push my headphones via amp without needing an external amp that was uber expensive and more clutter. For me it works well, for some, a true amp will definitely win, and others on-board is as good as they'll ever go. Onto the headphones, they're definitely upscale. They feel better, higher quality overall, they use a separate wire for each can, a thick main cable with plenty of length for routing, and overall impressed me. I try them on...seeing the pleather and expecing an RX-700 type experience..I was surprised...they were MORE comfortable than my DX3's...something I really didn't expect. Then I fire up some tunes, set my basic EQ setup (heavy bass, slight bump on 2-4k, and flat on the rest) and was blown away. They don't hit quite as hard as the 700's..but hits hard and has a much lower, more realistic bass. Plus clear mids and hi's was exactly what I was looking for. Too bad it cost more than the previous two headphones new, combined...for a used pair of these. But hell they sound great. So I hop into a game, CMMS-3d on..ready to go..had to turn up TS a little and winamp ( like to run tunes while gaming and bs-ing). I was not too impressed...it wasn't horrible..but placement seemed a little off and the sounds were just odd in tone. So I turned of CMMS-3d, left windows in 5.1, game in 5.1 and Control Panel in Headphone mode, and was amazed. The soundstage kicked ass for a closed can...blew away both the DX3's and RX700's, yet none are crappy...and all were better to my ears than pretty much every gaming headset I've ever tried. Racing, Strategy, FPS area ll genres I "primarily" play...though not much beyond any 3 of them. Needless to say I gotta say this pair of headphones is amazing to my ears driven by my setup. Many say they're bass heavy, but imo that's with a good amp...even a setup like mine needs EQ to extract bass from these or any headphone/headset I've used. But I can get more bass than I'd ever want really easily that goes very, very loud and low. Summary: Best pair of headphones I've used yet, gaming rocks, comfortable, great sound, great bass, easy to tune with EQ, a lot of good...but at the end of the day...they need to be cheaper because the RX700's do a bang-up job competing. But while the Denon's may be a "little" better in all areas, it's a noticable improvement and a much more refined sound, along with a larger sound stage for gaming. If you got money to blow get these, if you are just getting into headphones for headsets...start out cheaper, especially if you don't have a sound card yet. Get the RX700 and an X-Fi Xtreme Music or Audio or similar in another brand that has a solid EQ, feature set and output level, or if you have bucks and want good sound a better Auzen or Asus with an integrated headphone amp or dedicated amp using digital out from on-board with these headphones and you'll be set for a long time to come...but you will pay for it dearly (imo, there are some uber expensive headphones, cards and amps...this is more for the mainstream gamer...and for that my setup imo is higher end...$100+ sound card and $200+ pair of headphones is hella expensive...that's half a solid budget PC gaming build!). Now I've tried more than I've purchased including a few more plantronics, turtle beaches, logitechs, skull candy, bose, sony, etc...but I really only wanted to comment on the ones I owned and had a decent amount of use on. I hope this thread grows and can help many others while in search of something new, I may change the format to add more info/links, I haven't decided yet, but I figured I'd get the ball rollin and see what you guys come up with, what are you using? How do you like it? What else have you used/owned? Post it up here! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Last edited by Kursah; Jun 16, 2010 at 01:45 AM. Reason: Revised Reviews, added more content and links. |
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Jul 26, 2009, 11:33 AM
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Here's some links to those parts: Headphones: $34 - JAC HARX-700 [free s/h] $55 - JAC HARX-900 [free s/h] $6 - Zalman Microphone attachment (standard shipping is < $2 to my zip code) $8 - HPA2 non-lock microphone part [Fedex Ground shipping is ~$6.50 to my zip code] Last edited by Zoelef; Jul 26, 2009 at 11:34 AM. Reason: typo |
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Jul 26, 2009, 12:46 PM
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#4 |
 
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I recently brought a 5.1 Silverline Headset 751B. Second user off ebay. Only payed £10 inc p&p.
The sound quality is spot on. The bass has to be turned quite low as the built in bass speaker literally vibrates your head if turned up high. However I find the suround sound is not clairly directional. I brought this headset hoping when gaming with games like cod4 i'd be able to tell the direction of sounds around me. I.e weather a gun shoot or someone moving was behind me or infront. Turned out even though you can defo tell its suround sound its still hard to tell the direction the sound came from. I dont know if its just this headset or its 5.1 headsets in general. Does anyone else found this is the case with their 5.1 or 7.1 headset? |
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Jul 26, 2009, 01:17 PM
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#5 |
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I'm actually using the JVC HA RX 700's right now w/ a zalman clip on the mic. The zalman mic isn't too good as expected since I paid <$10 for it, but the $30 I paid for these headphones are completely phenomenal
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Jul 26, 2009, 01:40 PM
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#6 |
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Doctor Moderator
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[B ]Sennheiser HD-555[/b] -
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Jul 26, 2009, 06:20 PM
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#7 | |
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Jul 26, 2009, 06:39 PM
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#8 |
 
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i use a set of plantronics gamecom 777 5.1 circimural headphones with a usb dongle. I've been very happy so far, sound is rich and clean, crisp highs and some pretty impressive lows. here is a link to the website for them, paid about 75 bucks for em, Plantronis-Gamecom 777
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Jul 26, 2009, 09:31 PM
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#10 |
 
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Ezonics 5.1 USB -
- Got 'em from newegg a while back to use for my Laptop with shite onboard sound. I was incredibly impressed at the time and they held up very well after 3 years or so. They have tape on the cans since the plastic broke that held them to the head piece. Glue to hold the wires in since they had been pulled out quite a few times and tape to hold together the driver "case" halfway down the cord. Yeah they were abused, but damn they were good, or so i thought...Sennheiser HD201 - - Well for 20 bucks I didnt expect much, just something to replace my aging Ezonics and that I could use with my mp3 player. It had a 3.5mm jack and the Sennheiser name and was cheap, figured I'd give it a go. I was not too happy, the sound quality was poop. But they were damn cheap. Well, these went into my closet, my Ezonics got pulled out and I got some 10 buck Philip earbuds from CVS for my mp3 player.Audiotechnica ATH A700 + Turtle Beach Audio Advantage Micro USB -   - My oh my, what an experience. I had the Ezonics out when I received my ATs to do a back to back comparison so I listened to the Ezonics first and then the ATs. The Ezonics went into my attic after 2 min of listenin to the 700s. With the TB Audio Adv Micro which is a bit like a mini amp, although it doesn't need it, it sounds glorious. I've never heard anything like these before. Even through my Zune music is just eargasmic. I now make sure the songs I get are 320kbs and nothing lower. I finally realized what "audiophiles" are talking about. I wanted a closed set of cans so the Senns were out of the question and I was thinking about getting a headset with a mic but so many people say that a good set of cans and a separate mic is the way to go, and Im so happy I did. Got the 700s for 99.00 shipped and if you could legally marry electronics, I would be faithful to the 700s forever, they make my ears very happy to be alive.
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Jul 26, 2009, 11:29 PM
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Jul 26, 2009, 11:38 PM
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I got the TB EF HPA2, they rock with my SB X-Fi XG. 5.1 on headphones seems kinda pointless, but you can tell its behind you, its just not very convincing.
They also block out some outside noise, which is a good thing for the most part(I have some trouble hearing my mom sometimes when im jamming). Great Headphones IMHO, the mic is very clear too, works great on all the chat clients I use.
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Jul 27, 2009, 12:04 AM
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I wouldn't be able to compare the 700's vs. 900's because I went for 900's out of the gate and am very pleased with the results. The 700's go from 8Hz - 25KHz while the 900's go from 7Hz-26KHz, so you're probably not missing out on that much, but audio is definitely not an area I'm experienced with. |
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Jul 27, 2009, 12:11 AM
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Those 888S chips are supposed to be pretty damn good. I've heard people claim both sound great from onboard, I had to do a steep V EQ to get even similar sound to what my X-Fi could put out at an almost flat EQ. Not saying that's bad, it's just something I couldn't revert to without being annoyed, but then again if you're not used to it, it's something you probably won't notice or be bothered by, if it sounds good to you, that's all that matters in the end. It's just to my ears the onboard solutions I tried with the RX700's sounded so dull and almost muffled in comparison to what the X-Fi could do even after playing with EQ, loudness settings and what-not, I was still not happy. It could be done if the X-Fi went south, but I'd be finding another one asap. But you get used to a type of sound, and that's where ya want it to be, when you're content with it, then you're golden.
I do gotta say I'm extremely happy with my end result, and have ordered a pair of JVC HA-DX3's from buy.com recently...they're supposed to be much more well rounded, more comfy and sound that competes with much more expensive Denon headphones. I haven't decided if I'll keep the DX3's, but I'm for sure keeping the RX700's as they still continue to impress me. EDIT: Would you guys like me to add your guys' reviews to the OP? Also would you like me to link to the headphones/headsets I've owned? (I might not be able to source the Logitechs as they were a Walmart special back in the day...but I could find something similar I'm sure). I want to make this thread very useful for newcomers, and something you guys can feel free to add to without too much maintenance or worry of not sourcing good info ya know? So far the turnout is amazing, thanks everyone! |
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Jul 27, 2009, 09:47 PM
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#16 |
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Just added some bullet points to each headset/headphone I have reviewed in the OP, added links for each set. The logitechs I had to link to what replaced them though. Added a summary after each mini-review.
Please let me know if there's anything else you guys would like to see! I can add your reviews to the OP if you like, I want this to be a really useful thread, so please keep the reviews of your headphone/headset stock (even if it's the same, that's good for consistency)! Thanks for the support thus far, and I hope to see this thread thrive here on TPU and be something many can come to when deciding on that next headphone/headset upgrade.
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Jul 27, 2009, 11:56 PM
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#17 | |
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It is really a challenge to have the ability of really good surround sound from headphones, the limitation of size, number of drivers or amount of emulation, the ability of the drivers, and what is expected of them...hopefully with this tread and the donation of others that have used other brands/makes of 5.1+ headsets could really shine some light on what's worth getting and what's not for different purposes.
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Jul 31, 2009, 02:45 AM
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#18 |
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Just got my JVC HA-DX3 headphones in today, got them at an ok price, but they generally run around 100-110 shipped. So far all I've done is listen to music with them, which is crisper and sharper than the HA-RX700's, but that's not what this thread is about...so I'll post after I've put a few good solid hours of gaming in on them. Be on the lookout within the next week to see if they're really worth around 3X the price of my coveted HA-RX700's or not. I purchased them after great recommendations off of some great people elsewhere. The claim is a larger soundstage and improved overall sound. So far I can say the overall sound is cleaner, seems a tad more enveloping in a sense than the 700's.
One thing I can for sure attest to is the felt padding is extremely comfortable, and the fitment is very comfortable and light in comparison, but that alone isn't worth the price difference to me. So stay tuned to see if I feel they're worth the investment for gaming or not...I'll be using my Auzen Forte via rear amp'd heapdhone jack in comparison. So far I'm happy comfort and tunes-wise, but not sold. Though I'm hoping to see some more of you folks pipe in, I don't care if you have $10 headsets, post them up, what you think about them, I do believe in bang-for-the-buck even in the sound arena, and that's exactly why I snagged the HARX700's instead of getting another set of HPA2's. There are quite a few models I'd like to read about in this thread that I haven't and probably won't purchase, some cheap, some spendy, some in-between, there's plenty of room here, let's make this thread something worth referring others to when they ask about headphones/headsets to look into!
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Jul 31, 2009, 07:47 PM
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#19 |
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There currently unavailable from tigerdirect, but these are what ive been using for about 6 months now (triton usb 5.1) upgrade from logitech usb. Big differance with surround sound in a headset while gaming, these are for better than the logitech or anything else ive used. When I bought them, i got them for about $80 us, i think i got them from newegg, but i dont see them there.I recommend them if you want a nice set, almost forgot the guys on ventrilo say this mic is more clearer than the logitech too.
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Aug 3, 2009, 01:32 AM
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#20 |
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Alright, well I recently purchased a set of higher end JVC HA-DX3's. I've only listened to them in music, so far what I first noticed was the comfort, it reminded me of the Turtle Beach HPA2's, but lighter. The velour pads were very comfy indeed. So far I've only done a little gaming and mostly music/movies, but thus far music/movie-wise I've noticed they need more bass increases via EQ and boost to achieve decent levels, they're a bass shy set and need more oomph to drive at 90 ohms. The bass isn't as sharp or defined as the RX700's, but the mids and hi's are in the next league, the detail and crispness were top notch. What I did hear in games, which has been very little with camping and other stuff going on recently, was what seemed to be an impressive soundstage for a closed headphone, it seemed larger and more accurate than my RX700's, and easier to hear minor noises, far gunshots, lighter footsteps, etc. I have ran both from my Auzen X-Fi Forte heapdhone amp connection, and I won't be kicking my 700's to the curb quite yet, as I need more time to see if the DX3's are worth the investment at nearly 3X the price or not. Really buying those made me that much more impressed with what the RX700's are capable of, and where they lack a little...but for the price...my god I appreciate them that much more. I will be adding a mini-review to the OP within the next week after I get some good hours of gaming, primarily CoD4 in on this new set. Until then folks. please keep posting your thoughts and experiences! I'm impressed at the submitted results thus far, and it doesn't matter if someone's done a mini-review/recommendation on a pair you use or have had, the more results the better imo.
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Aug 8, 2009, 05:29 PM
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#21 |
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Alright, well I added the JVC HA-DX3 review to the OP, it might be revised later on, but as of this point that's where they stand with me. They're comfy, and very detail oriented on sound output, which turns out to be fun for gaming but not as fun for my kind of music especially with the lack of bass punch the RX700's provide. Check the OP to read more about it.
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Aug 8, 2009, 05:53 PM
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#22 |
 
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you mentioned audio sources. I use an alesis multi mix 8. This is more over a mixer as too a sound card that you guys would be used too but it hooks up through usb.
pro's huge, infinate, flexibility, can have four jack inputs playing through at once(i understand the most u'd use is two but it meant easy volume changes for my games and any music i have running through it. Doesn't need to be hooked up to your pc to run amazing sound quality (no hiss no pops clear crisp high and defined bass not just a blur of bass with most cards) means you can record things if you into that multipull outputs, control roomout, main mix out, line out, aux out con's not sutable for most users only 2.1 so for headphone use primarily whilst it is compact and small most people wont want it on their desk in short this is hugly powerful piece of kit, its like the hd 4890 of the sound world. Great recording quality and thanks to the usb no need for anoying tape decks and easy mastering. But this device will only be fully utilized with someone with more use then just playing music through. In the end it is a recording device and should be used for that.
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Aug 8, 2009, 09:08 PM
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#23 |
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Nice setup ste, definately a tad overkill for the gamer out there :P But I bet it puts out some seriously nice sound. I love my Auzen Forte and chose it over external solutions this round for the fact I wanted to keep my sound output within my case at this point in time. But that thing does look very sweet, makes me want to start recording lol! Nice find!
What are you using for headphones/headsets being driven by that mixer? Nice source review, I think I'll do one on my X-Fi Xtreme Music and Auzen Forte eventually, nothing too technical, keep it simple similar to your review and the ones I have in the OP. Anyone else gonna pipe in and give their experienced opinions on their headphones and headsets? It doesn't matter if others thinks it junk, or even if you do, hell if you don't like it, let us know...save some fellow TPUer's some money! If you have a good diamond in the rough, definately post it up! Let's get this thread thriving with info, it's off to a good start imo, but I know there's plenty more of you out there that have some good gaming sound gear that would fit right in here.
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Aug 9, 2009, 05:41 PM
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#24 |
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my 1st post- Kurash invited me here from headfi to share some headphone opinions. i have tried many headphones and headsets- probably close to 100!
i'll share a few of my faves: Denon ah-d2000 these go for about 220$. metal cups, leather earpads. metal swivels, braided cord. have a nice feel to them. very comfy. reaches very low bass notes and pretty high notes also. slightly recessed mids. very clear sound, no harshness at all. my overall fave headphone at the moment, these are just fantastic for gaming. pros -fantastic bass, never harsh or thudding -decent soundstage -quality materials -very clear highs, you miss nothing with these cons -price. might be hard to jump in to an expensive headphone for some -the metal yokes seem fragile. i have heard of them breaking once. -not a flat neautral sound. these arent for mixing or monitoring duties |
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Aug 9, 2009, 05:58 PM
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#25 |
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steelsound 4H -
-Pros
Cons
I got mine off woot right after they came out for 17.99 and I have been using them for around a year and a half. Someone broke the cord on them but I repaired it with little to no trouble but I think it would have been fine if that person did not rip it.
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