best audio setup for console gaming?

If money is no object, get a Smyth Realiser and have a recording done at the best 7.1 theater you can find using the included earbud microphones. Then get a Stax SR-009 + BHSE or Liquid Lightning to use with the Realiser.

 

...Yeah, I didn't think you could actually afford all of that.

 

To keep costs reasonable, I'd probably get an Astro Mixamp (if chat mixing is important and you don't need DTS decoding) or a JVC/Victor SU-DH1 (if chat mixing isn't important and you need DTS decoding; make sure you get the Victor-branded one if you don't want to keep replacing AA batteries), a good headphone (check the Mad Lust Envy thread to get an idea of what to get), and a ModMic.

 

If your budget permits, try stepping up to a Stax Lambda system; the vintage ones are a lot more affordable than the SR-007/SR-009 setups everyone fixates on here, though you're still likely to be spending $300-500 + the cost for a speaker power amp if they come with transformer boxes.

Did you have a budget?

An all in one theater system would work, just make sure the receiver comes with a Toslink digital optical input.

Find a 2 or 3 year old receiver w/5.1 speakers on Craigslist.

Find a new one on sale for around $250?, with zero tax and free shipping.

Right now I like Yamaha, they come with Silent Cinema, with is Yamahas surround sound for headphones.

The Klipsch HD500 5.1 speakers are selling for $300

Try to find a used Yamaha receiver on your local Craigslist, anything up to 4 years old would do the job.

The receiver comes with a DAC built in.

 

Best audio set up for console gaming.

The best setup for console gaming for me would be the Beyer Headzone + headphone of choice.

I've already heard it (briefly owned the Headzone), and it's stellar. Slightly better than the Mixamp in terms of virtual surround properties, but a noticeable leap in actual sound fidelity.

I'd rather take a cheap sounding virtual surround amp like the Turtle Beach DSS vs the best audio rig in history... in stereo. Virtual surround adds so much to the sound, it's not even a competition.

Realistically speaking; look for a used Harman Kardon receiver with Dolby Headphone + a great headphone like the D7000.
Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/22/12 at 2:53pm

Hmm well the HE-500 with that set up has pretty amazing head stage and in online shooters specifically It's easy as pie to pinpoint movement around you. I have tried and used a few different surround sound headset's and the is it M80 astro mixamp? I didn't really care for it for gaming being used tot he head stage of my headphones at the time it kind of distorted where I was hearing movement. I would hear some one directly behind me and they were really more to the left and behind me, things of that nature. I'm sure a better amp would do a better job but eh.

Edited by WhiteCrow - 6/22/12 at 4:03pm

Yea I have it hooked into the ps3 via optical bi-passing it's god awful DAC.

People can promote how good a heaphones imaging is and whatnot, but stereo is a far cry from what those very same headphones can do with virtual surround. Its such a staggering difference in positional cues, that stereo sounds like mono in comparison. No headphone I have used (including the HE-4 which should have a similar soundstage as the HE500) sounds anywhere near as good for gaming as when using a virtual surround amp like the Headzone, and Mixamp.

In any case, a receiver with a surround sound interface (like Yamaha's Silent Cinema, or Harman Kardon with Dolby Headphone) WILL give the HE500s those surround like audio cues. Typical audiophile dac/amps WON'T, and you'll be stuck with plain stereo.

This is why I'd never use such a setup for my consoles. I'd use something like the Mixamp, and hook the Lyr to that, so as to gain the benefit of virtual surround, plus the power of the Lyr. Its not the best fidelity-wise, but the benefits of virtual suround far outweigh pure audio fidelity with stereo.

That's assuming you're not going to use a receiver with virtual surround.
Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 6/23/12 at 12:45am