Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide: (Updated: 5/23/2013. MrSpeakers Mad Dog v.3.2 Reviewed) - Page 708

What do you guys use for backlighting? I just can't find anything worthy. I tried those ikea strips once, but they died pretty fast. Not to mention it was a PITA removing them from the TV/monitor...

BTW chico, that screen looks very good!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naingolann 

What do you guys use for backlighting? I just can't find anything worthy. I tried those ikea strips once, but they died pretty fast. Not to mention it was a PITA removing them from the TV/monitor...

 

BTW chico, that screen looks very good!

I would like to know as well because that looks amazing Chico.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathDealer623 

MLE or anyone else with the first hand knowledge,

 

Would you say the Magni will be good for the Q701/K702 Annie if its paired w/ the Mixamp Pro 2013 (and its includes EQs)?  I currently have the HD598 (love them but trying to get more bass and keep competitive score high) and just got the DT990 prem, 250ohm and Q701 to test w/ my AVR (Pioneer's Phones surround mode) as well as the E11.  The Mixamp Pro, Magni, and the Annie are all in transit w/ ETA of end of the week for even more testing.  I want to be sure I get the most favorable and enjoyable experience for PS3 Games and Movies exclusively.  Thanks to all for helping out this lurker.

I just purchased this exact setup (Magni/Modi, Q701's and MixampPro 2013) for gaming on xbox as well as listening to music from both a pc and my Pioneer AVR (VSX-53). I will say that the headphones arrived first and I eagerly plugged them into the the AVR to check out the Headphone Surround for gaming. First off, either the 701's really taxed the amp for headphones or there just isn't a lot of power dedicated to that output. I was at a level -7 just to get a decent volume through the cans where normally that would be VERY loud! I also discovered that there are limitations to which DSP's are available when using headphones with the AVR. Not so much an issue for music in stereo but for gaming the "surround" didnt leave my jaw on the floor going through the AVR. 

When the Magni and Mixamp arrived I put them to the test with Black Ops II and was VERY pleased with the Magni's ability to drive the 701's and the Mixamp surround effects. I was hoping to achieve a somewhat similar experience as playing through the home theater system and I wasnt dissapointed :) For music I played a few different flac files (both live shows and studio releases) though the Magni/Modi combo and thought the 701's really replicated them accurately. I wont profess to be as knowlegable as many on here with their experience with different headphones and audiophile-ese descriptions but I will say that the recommendations others have provided to me (MLE and Chico) were dead on and left me with a huge asss grin on my face!

Hope this helps and good luck with your gear!

Hey guys

Been looking for a good pair of headphones to use while gaming and after a few weeks of deliberation I think the Q701 may be the one for me.

I plan to use it in conjunction with this soundcard on my Gigabyte-Z77M-D3H, http://www.ebuyer.com/345387-creative-soundblaster-recon3d-pci-express-bulk-version-for-system-builders-no-cd-30sb135000000 

Will this setup grant me Dolby Digital Live/surround sound access with the Q701 and also with my 5.1 Logitech Z506? Mostly planning to utilise this in Battlefield 3. 

Finally I'm still deliberating over what amp to use; leaning towards an E17 or Magni, any advice on that?

Figured someone would beat me to this, but I guess not.

http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/08/sennheiser-pc363d-pc350-special-edition-gaming-headsets-ces/

The 350 SE is $250 at Amazon. What I really want to hear is the decoder on that 363D model.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naingolann 

What do you guys use for backlighting? I just can't find anything worthy. I tried those ikea strips once, but they died pretty fast. Not to mention it was a PITA removing them from the TV/monitor...

 

BTW chico, that screen looks very good!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hailin 

I would like to know as well because that looks amazing Chico.

Thanks!

 

I got the LED lights from a place called "Volka Lighting":
http://volkalighting.com.au/ledstore/products/Ambient-Back-Light-for-TV-or-Home-Theater-RGB-Kit-with-Remote.html

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ambient-Mood-LED-Light-Home-Theatre-TV-Ready-RGB-Kit-IR-Remote-/251031997798?pt=US_Stage_Lighting_Single_Units&hash=item3a72ac4d66

 

It comes in a little kit that is easy to hook up.

What's cool about it is that changes colors and dims/brightnes via a remote   You have to point it behind the TV though since the IR receiver is back there #firstworldproblems

 

 

 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

That looks like a 40"! Its so big that I dont think its IPS, but maybe you're a baller like that, hahaha.

Chico, what computer desk is that? I'm trying to downscale and want one just like that, that only has enough space for a monitor and maybe that's it. Slide out keyboard/mouse piece is a necessity too. Im 6'2" though and I'm afraid that my big old self won't fit, lol.
 

Ya it's a 40".  Samsung UN40EH5000.  I got it a few months ago.  It's lovely.

I went with that TV because it's got an S-PVA panel (if you play the panel lottery correctly) and last time I checked S-PVA still has the lead for best black levels and contrast for LCDs.  IPS is good for viewing angles and color accuracy, but the blacks are lighter.  I also went with that particular set because it is not edge-lit, unlike the majority of TVs.  It's one of the few TVs that has a full array style backlight which means no backlight bleeding or flashlighting.

I'm not sure what the desk is.  I didn't buy it myself.  I like it because its nice and simple and clean and still has enough room to fit a TV up top.  It's also pretty deep.  I'm 6' and I fit OK.  I like having as much legroom as possible without any annoying computer/printer tray/shelf things down below.  I shove all the equipment off to the side to free up leg-room.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Naingolann 

What do you guys use for backlighting? I just can't find anything worthy. I tried those ikea strips once, but they died pretty fast. Not to mention it was a PITA removing them from the TV/monitor...

Got two of these behind my 3x24"... Not the most elaborate but relatively cheap and easy to hook up. Edit: That kit chico linked looks very interesting for the price/size.

http://store.antec.com/Product/soundscience/bias-lighting/0-761345-77020-0.aspx

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evshrug 
Sigma had to make "new" models just so they could sell them cheaper. Their most interesting models IMO are their large-sensor compacts - they may be limited to a signal focal length (no zoom, for the lay people) and their processing may also be comparatively slow, but the massive amount of detail they extract (at small-ish file sizes) is impressive, and a real boon for landscape, fashion, and the crazy prime lens street shooters. Probably product photographers too. The other "interesting" sensor maker is Fuji. They've thought of about 5 different ways to boost the dynamic range and decrease noise, just by themselves. I think it's interesting that Bayer was a scientist working for Kodak, and their own invention put them out of business – mostly because their board members were scared of change, and were still having meetings in even 2008 about "How are we going to kill off this 'digital' fad?"
I could talk your ear off about sensor-size equivalency and functional camera design, but that would be waaaay OT. I'll just say I love Olympus' engineers and hate their management, and we'll leave the camera talk to DPR
As far as "green light" as a channel of light and a video signal, we are instinctively "attracted" to it and our eyes are sensitive to it, but green also carries more - I forget the word right now, but basically luminance and energy. Think red laser pointers vs green.
I wonder if ghosting wouldn't be less of a problem on a Plasma than LCD, and typical computer monitors because of the sluggish response time (high may not be the most intuitive adjective, though technically correct) of typical LCDs?
Is it obvious that I'm trying to think of anything but the Annies while the excitement is fresh?

All this DSLR talk reminds me of how even the more affordable models still cost hundreds, not including lenses. Too rich for my blood right now.

Meanwhile, my stepfather's still got his old Canon AE-1 Program, and I got this Pentax Spotmatic I found at a thrift store for like $15.75. Good thing Fujifilm's still in the 135 film roll business and people will still develop that stuff so these old cameras can continue to be useful without slapping a digital back with a 35mm full-frame sensor onto them.

Also, the first thing I notice about the construction on older cameras like that? Metal. They just feel so solid and satisfying throughout, and the same thing extends to the lenses and their adjustment rings. I know there are a lot of good reasons to use plastic, but today's cameras don't really have that feeling of solidity and satisfying tactility to them, at least going by the ones I've held at electronics stores.

Back to displays: for plasma displays, it likely depends on the persistence of the phosphors used, just like CRTs. I can distinctly tell that CRT SDTVs meant to refresh at 60 Hz per NTSC spec, along with arcade monitors meant to take 240p signals and other weird, non-standard video signals from arcade boards, have less noticeable flicker than a CRT computer monitor running at 60 Hz due to the increased phosphor persistence. Plasmas seem to function very differently in terms of actually refreshing the image, though, so higher persistences may not be necessary. (For starters, the recent ones are a lot more prone to image retention than CRTs, albeit about as resistant to burn-in.)

Also of importance is that people don't mistake image retention/burn-in for ghosting. You probably know the difference, but I doubt most buyers in the HDTV market do.

I'm still more concerned about the input lag than anything; the research I've done on nice plasma panels like the Panasonic VT50 reveals that they have over a frame of input lag, and the less I think about those LG plasmas over at the university game room, the better. (People somehow play fighting games on those things without complaining too much about the blatantly obvious input lag...) I go look up displays with low input lag, as in 16ms or less, and they're almost all LCDs.

And yes, I feel you on not wanting to get sucked into the hype. I found out that not frequenting the Stax thread in the High-end Audio subforum as much helped keep the feelings of wallet inadequacy at bay.

Thank you for this review and all the info contained here.  This seems like a classy forum too, which is nice nowadays.

I am planning to order some items recommended/reviewed here very soon.  I plan to order the AD700 headphones for now, may change at a later date.  My questions are this:

-I plan to buy the new 2013 mixamp, is the previous version better, should I try to find that first?

-I plan to buy a magni amp as voice chat is a must for me (battlefield 3 on ps3), what is the benefits of also getting the modi?  Doesn't the mixamp do the DAC function?  Will it benefit me for gaming at all?  If yes, for me, I don't mind spending the extra $100.  My only use for this setup will be gaming on ps3 (battlefield 3).

Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

If using the AD700, you wont need an additional amp. The Modi is unnecessary, and won't be used at all. The Modi a dac to use for non-gaming purposes.
The 2013 Mixamp is great, though as hissy as the 5.8. The older wired Mixamps were quieter. Either way, the hiss is a non-issue for gaming. The 2013 Mixamp has nice warmth plus eq presets the old ones lack. I find it to be the best Mixamp unless you absolutely need less hiss, which to me is overkill for gaming anyways.

Thank you sir!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

If using the AD700, you wont need an additional amp. The Modi is unnecessary, and won't be used at all. The Modi a dac to use for non-gaming purposes.
The 2013 Mixamp is great, though as hissy as the 5.8. The older wired Mixamps were quieter. Either way, the hiss is a non-issue for gaming. The 2013 Mixamp has nice warmth plus eq presets the old ones lack. I find it to be the best Mixamp unless you absolutely need less hiss, which to me is overkill for gaming anyways.

are you still experiencing sound drops with the 2013 Mixamp?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Lust Envy 

No. I believe my problem was the Astro usb cable. I stopped using it, and it worked again. Good thing I have so many.

I'm having the same issue. Did you go with a thicker gauge cable or something shorter in length to resolve it?