Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide: (Updated: 5/23/2013. MrSpeakers Mad Dog v.3.2 Reviewed) - Page 744

Hi, how about the beyerdynamic DT 235 for gaming?

Would you guys say the Astro Mixamp Pro or Mixamp 5.8 is a significant improvement over the Turtle Beach DSS?  Enough to justify the extra cost?

I want to know that answer since I am waiting for my dss! And btw, is anyone a halo player on here?

 

As with many things: it depends. 

 

I went from a DSS2 to a Mixamp Pro 2013.  We all know that the DSS and the DSS2 are different beasts, and I can only speak from experience as a former DSS2 user.  The Mixamp, using Dolby Headphone, has better separation and positioning than the DSS2.  There is also more hiss on the Mixamp than with the DSS2.  Also, if you crank the 2013 Mixamp Pro to full volume output on some headphones, explosion-type sound will distort - this is remedied by upping the amp volume and lowering the master volume dial on the mixamp.

 

I sold my DSS2 and basically made most of my money back on the purchase (bought it on sale).  That said, I find the increased positional accuracy produced by the Mixamp to be worth the cost.  The DSS2 got me about 80% of the way there, but this is head-fi and there's always another train coming, another upgrade on the horizon, etc.

 

Of course, the first DSS also relies on Dolby Headphone so I would imagine that it would produce mixamp-like results.  Only difference being the ability to mix in game chat and, if you're looking at the 2013 edition, several EQ presets.

Strange.  Last night I plugged my brand new HE-400's into the DSS and Fiio E11 amp and got some serious hissing in the background.  Thats why i started looking into the mixamp.  Then I plug it all in the same way just now and didn't hear any hissing whatsoever.  It sounded quite nice to my ears actually.  Maybe I'll stick with my DSS after all.

Halo 4 FTW  that's all I play, lol.  Ive never heard the mixamp, but through my DSS I was able to accurately tell where sounds were coming from, if someone was behind me I noticed right away, etc.

MLE, I hope you're happy, because I'm seriously tempted to save up and add the HE-400 to my headphone collection right now. Just when I thought Head-Fi wouldn't cause any more financial damage...

 

I still don't see it as a replacement for the SR-Lambda, but it's a damn good complement to it. I certainly wouldn't mind having it as a secondary headphone, especially one that isn't restricted so much by amplification. I can even plug it into my little X-Fi Go! with no additional portable amp, and it still sounds great!

 

No wonder these things are so hyped...it does so much right, and the price isn't in the stratosphere like a lot of other headphones discussed around here. It helps that you don't need a headphone amp costing hundreds of dollars for it to do its thing.

In what way does it complement your Lamda? More for practical purposes or is there something substantially different about the sound that you enjoy having as an alternative? A little of both?

I've been playing a few hours of The Last Story on Wii using the 2011 mixamp. I don't hear any sibilance while the console is on, but when I plug in the headphone I do hear some. I will have to do a test with the PS3 however, since I can't really compare the 2011 and 2013 versions with the Wii.

 

Anyway, I'm not particularly impressed with Pro Logic II. It does sound noticeably better, but really it is all for naught. You don't really benefit from having 5.1 in game. Furthermore, you can tell this audio was originally coded in stereo and then amplified to different channels. I'll try other games soon (Super Mario Galaxy and Metroid Prime Trilogy) and games on PS3.

 

Different enough in that you can tell it's more of a gentle V than a gentle ^, thus putting a bit more emphasis on bass and treble notes than voices, but not so far different that the midrange completely suffers for it. Most vocal music I listen to is still completely enjoyable on the HE-400, with its own little touch of presence compared to the SR-Lambda's ethereal politeness. Something about its overall sound presentation also reminds me of the SR-202, but with less recessed mids.

 

I admit that I can't really find the proper words to compare the HE-400 with my Stax experiences, though. Electrostatics are a bit difficult to explain without first-hand experience, which is really why I want MLE to try my set some day. He's getting an AVR, so that should make things a LOT easier for me provided he's got a separate DH processor feeding the receiver (since I doubt the Marantz receivers apply Dolby Headphone mixing through their front left/right speaker taps). I'll throw in my SU-DH1 with a 3.5mm TRS-to-RCA cable if necessary.

 

I still think the SR-Lambda would have the edge for competitive gaming due to better long-term comfort (for me, thanks to earpads that don't touch my earlobe) and relatively subdued bass (it's not that it isn't there at all, but that it isn't the focus of its presentation unless you EQ up the bass significantly), but the HE-400 lends a distinctly cinematic experience to gaming audio, with theater-like rumbly explosions and still enough soundstage and spaciousness for CMSS-3D Headphone, Dolby Headphone, and other similar headphone surround mixing features to do their thing.

 

 

A little of both, with the amp thing being the practical part (it helps that the HE-400 is apparently pretty efficient by orthodynamic standards) and everything I said above explaining the complementary sound presentation.

Both the DSS & Mixamp use Dolby Headphone, the difference would be in the quality of the DAC and amp section. I haven't heard either but I expect (hope?) the more expensive unit used the bigger budget to improve these parts. Then again, Beats and Bose exist as testaments to price:value. I also wouldn't be surprised if TB stopped making their processor with DH because the license fees were too high, it seems DH has been dropped from MOST virtual surround devices lately. Someday, I'm going to have to demo a DSS vs my Recon3D, though right now the Recon3D for me used with movies and games wins over the DH video Mad posted. But they're also close in performance for me.

I love Halo, I think Reach & Halo 4 have even better positional audio than the CoD/MW series. I remember, back before I had virtual surround, feeling totally blown away by the occlusion audio effects in Halo 3, and I think Halo 4 is even better. I only wish the damn warthog wasn't so loud, and in-game volume control would be a boon for balancing game and chat audio volume without a mixamp/SLYR mixer/Steelseries puck type of device.

Some people just prefer the more recognizable military style of other games, though I still wouldn't call them "realistic," lol.

Just checking you were aware, kelite was comparing the DSS2 to a 2013 Mixamp, not the original DSS. Personally, unless you want to control chat/game volume balance a lot and you can't set the game volume in-game, if you already have a DSS I recommend waiting till you're ready to have a receiver home setup.

If anybody is interested, I'm willing to lend out my 2013 mixamp for a week. You guys would have to pay for shipping though.

 

As a matter of fact, I want to sell that thing. I bought the previous version with rca inputs for use with the Wii. But for now I can lend it to somebody.

^ Cruel of you to appeal to my curiosity!!! I may take you up on the lendy, but I still have other pressing financial demands...

I think the same thing! I can figure out positional ques so much better in halo 4. Do you play online?

Lol of course I divide my time between Halo 4, and then I have some friends who are hardcore devoted to CoD4 and L4D2.