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Need a new headset


dupp

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oops, someone has gone around and bumped a heap of old threads, didnt realise this one was solved ages ago

 

People who are looking for a headset will still read this to see if any suggestion suit them.

 

That said: My GAMING recommendation: $40 for Creative Fatality, another $30 for ASUS Xonar DG: You have a true surround headset with an amp: And your choice of GX or Dolby Headphone. This is what I did, $70 gets you perfect positional audio and incredible volume, bass, and pitch. You won't find a better deal that doesn't cost exponentially more. But if price is no issue, go ahead and spend $400 for a better one. in the end that's the choice of the consumer: Better does exist.. but for a serious price tag.

 

BTW: You'll see people knocking on ALL creative brand headphones all over the web. While I've never actually seen a bad remark about them from anyone who actually owned them: Just random flaming by people who never even tried them. Then you have the rare group in between who've owned enough headsets to compare: And most of these reviewers will claim that while they're not the best headset on the market: They beat out 9/10 headsets that cost $100-200 more. There is no better deal as far as price/performance goes, but there are better headphones. Just not for those who are budget conscious.

 

However, without an amp.. They're not that impressive. Keep that in mind, if you won't have an amp (or at least a sound card with an amp) they're going to be an average headset. I was initially dissapointed in this headset: but then I replaced my creative audigy card with the xonar DG I have now: And the in-line amp at 36-64ohms made all the difference in the world. From "meh" to "hallelujah!". The amp does not have such a drastic effect on other headsets I've used: these things just aren't made for low power, but they dominate at the 36ohms they're meant for.

 

The Mic: It's average. Nothing incredible, but it has clarity and volume. probably no better than a $10 clip on mic, but also no worse.

 

**Don't confuse the headset with the soundcard. The Fatal1ty soundcard is trash, even the $30 creative cards beat it. This (cheap looking but far from) is what i'm talking about:

Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset

 

As for music: They're good but I can't comment specifically. I use internet radio most of the time, so audio quality isn't going to come out great no matter what i'm listening to it on: As it's limited from the source.

Edited by dragonsdontfly

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People who are looking for a headset will still read this to see if any suggestion suit them.

 

That said: My GAMING recommendation: $40 for Creative Fatality, another $30 for ASUS Xonar DG: You have a true surround headset with an amp: And your choice of GX or Dolby Headphone. This is what I did, $70 gets you perfect positional audio and incredible volume, bass, and pitch. You won't find a better deal that doesn't cost exponentially more. But if price is no issue, go ahead and spend $400 for a better one. in the end that's the choice of the consumer: Better does exist.. but for a serious price tag.

 

BTW: You'll see people knocking on ALL creative brand headphones all over the web. While I've never actually seen a bad remark about them from anyone who actually owned them: Just random flaming by people who never even tried them. Then you have the rare group in between who've owned enough headsets to compare: And most of these reviewers will claim that while they're not the best headset on the market: They beat out 9/10 headsets that cost $100-200 more. There is no better deal as far as price/performance goes, but there are better headphones. Just not for those who are budget conscious.

 

However, without an amp.. They're not that impressive. Keep that in mind, if you won't have an amp (or at least a sound card with an amp) they're going to be an average headset. I was initially dissapointed in this headset: but then I replaced my creative audigy card with the xonar DG I have now: And the in-line amp at 36-64ohms made all the difference in the world. From "meh" to "hallelujah!". The amp does not have such a drastic effect on other headsets I've used: these things just aren't made for low power, but they dominate at the 36ohms they're meant for.

 

The Mic: It's average. Nothing incredible, but it has clarity and volume. probably no better than a $10 clip on mic, but also no worse.

 

**Don't confuse the headset with the soundcard. The Fatal1ty soundcard is trash, even the $30 creative cards beat it. This (cheap looking but far from) is what i'm talking about:

Creative Fatal1ty Gaming Headset

 

As for music: They're good but I can't comment specifically. I use internet radio most of the time, so audio quality isn't going to come out great no matter what i'm listening to it on: As it's limited from the source.

Well if you insit on that DDF here is mine.

 

My current rec is for no internal sound card and ditch positional audio its marketing bs.

 

Invest in an external DAC/amp and for the money you cannot beat an audioengine D1 DAC at $160. It performs in a way that seems criminal for its price with it going toe to toe with $1000+ DACs. The inbuilt amp can handle headphones up to 300ohm which is fine for most headsets even the monster Sennhiser HD600s but you would want to consider a separate more powerful amp at the 300ohm plus range.

 

For the sub $100 range the only things I see as worth it are some of the IEMs or even some of the better in ear headphones like the CX-300IIs or image S4s. One of the best deals on a semi open cuircumaural headset atm is the AKG Q701s that are going for $270 on sale (RRP $400). They are brilliant because you can use them with an ipod, phone, psp, laptop, pc etc with no amp for great quality but the time they really sing is when I plug them into my audioengine D1 USB DAC and Amp. I can sit there for hours retagging and organizing my music library in blissful musical ignorance to everything around me.

 

Price for D1 and Q701s, $160 plus $270 equaling a well spent $430 :)

 

 

 

For those that insist on needing positional audio well I can make out vague directions easily enough with just the software emulated sourround and its been fine for me playing skyrim. To me the greater quality sound the emotively evoking music playback takes greater precedence over hearing the location of someone or something in a game.

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Well if you insit on that DDF here is mine.

 

My current rec is for no internal sound card and ditch positional audio its marketing bs.

 

 

 

For those that insist on needing positional audio well I can make out vague directions easily enough with just the software emulated sourround and its been fine for me playing skyrim. To me the greater quality sound the emotively evoking music playback takes greater precedence over hearing the location of someone or something in a game.

As a competitive gamer, I can say that it is NOT marketing bs. Dolby headphone has saved my butt more times than I care to admit.

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As a competitive gamer, I can say that it is NOT marketing bs. Dolby headphone has saved my butt more times than I care to admit.

I am a competitive gamer in online racing games not fps :lol:

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>competitive

>racing games

 

choose one

There are world, national and state rankings. Race type and overall rankings.

 

You can see my current rank in the sig, haven't raced in a while so I have slipped quite a bit. At one point I was 23 in aus and just about to break into the top 2000 in the world.

 

Aim is to get to triple figures and top ten aus but it's easier said than done because those figures put you in the top 0.1% of registered users :) over 11,000,000 users so you could really say top 1% of active users.

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There are world, national and state rankings. Race type and overall rankings.

 

You can see my current rank in the sig, haven't raced in a while so I have slipped quite a bit. At one point I was 23 in aus and just about to break into the top 2000 in the world.

 

Aim is to get to triple figures and top ten aus but it's easier said than done because those figures put you in the top 0.1% of registered users :) over 11,000,000 users so you could really say top 1% of active users.

 

i know, i was just kidding around

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Personally, I don't like Dolby Headphone in gaming. Mostly because it seems limited in games anyways. I'm not knocking DH, it has it's uses in movies and even some music: It's just not very good at gaming IMHO.

 

For instance, game I've been re-playing a lot lately: the Witcher 2. Dolby Headphone; When a character begins speaking, their voice will come from a certain channel, let's say front left for example. If you turn while they're speaking: It's still front left until it loads their next line of speech. I've noticed this in a lot of games.

For me, EAX and GX are the only forms of positional audio that actually work. And you don't need positional audio in racing games. They are competitive yes, but the audio of them isn't. As long as you can hear the engine over-revving you have all the audio quality you can get use of.

 

I even get use of positional audio in non-FPS games. Again, Witcher 2: It's an RPG, and a difficult one at that. Instead of a slight cue that a nekker is about to sneak-attack-smack me in the back of the head, I actually hear him exactly enough that I reflexively turn around and counter it without having to say "is that a rear or side sound?" A footstep is enough to tell me, "Oh, he's about 10 feet behind me and a foot to the left", as I turn around and knock him on his butt.

 

That's the thing about positional audio: you don't get "cues": You hear it true enough that you don't have to think about it at all; It's so accurate it's reflex from the first game.

Edited by dragonsdontfly

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Hey all, i know this is a bit under spec / quality by comparison to what you have but i have been using this Noise Huse N700m headset for a while now and love em....just goes to show ya, that the highest prices highest end does not always = the best....my two cents! But i would go with seinheiser if i was you

 

Sorry to ask this, but i just want to be sure.

 

Are you seriously comparing a single ear VOIP Headset to dual-channel (and above) Positional headsets for gaming?

(I'm not saying that cheaper/less popular headsets arnt worth it.....but you really can't play games with only 1 ear surely?)

 

I really hope you don't use that headset for gaming mate :D

 

Skype - sure. Gaming - no xD

 

I have a bit of input...

 

I used a Roccat Kave 5.1 for about a year, until i STUPIDLY wheeled over the wire with my chair and it pulled....the cabled broke right near the earcup so it wasn't even fixable :withstupid:

Fantastic Headset, Brilliant Quality (Although, comfort leaves a little to be desired sometimes as the set can dig in at the top of your head...)

 

It died recently after surgery *Cough* Insulating Tape *Cough*... :-/

 

I bought the Creative Fatal1ty headset and i am super impressed. For half the price of the KAVE as well...

You can most definately tell it isn't 5.1 and they arn't really noise cancelling either (The KAVE was)

So if you play games in a noisy area i can see it becoming an annoyance. (This matters to some people)

 

I also have an ASUS DG 5.1 with GX enabled.

Positional Audio is perfect, Music and movies sound fantastic. If you care alot about the Music you listen to, you can hear all of the ranges almost perfectly and i have yet to make this headset crackle "justifiably"

Also, the bass is fantastic.....A decent rumble that could even be enough to make the hairs on your neck stand on end :thumbsup:

My current overall informal rating i'd say is 9/10 for the Fatal1ty headset - It's a little uncomfortable, but that may change as i wear the headset in a bit more.

 

Good luck :)

Edited by CourtArtanis

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