[BURNIN AMBITION]

well i checked themanual, should be the firstthing i had done. tha faqs and the site if astroi i had already seen them. so my pc360 questions are solved now. only thing that puzzles me is this. if i get the wireless mixamp, will i be able to charge the mixamp via usb without having to buy the rechargable battery pack. if i have to buy the pack, will battery life lower, if i charge the battery while playing?
thats all and thank you and sorry for my many questions

 

[BURNIN AMBITION]

just wanted to say that my finger is iching to press the paypal button and buy them. 322 euros total of sennheiser pc360 mixamp wireless and the battery pack..probably will confirm it at night though...
 
i hope someone can confirm till night, if i need the battery pack, or i can charge the receiver without it, by simply connecting the rf with a usb port ..o
nce again thank you all you are one hell of a community
 
and soon i will enjoy again call of duty and my drums!!!!!!!
take care

 

[obazavil]

I don't have the wireless mixamp, just the normal one.
 
But I read that you MUST get the battery packs from astro, if you want them to charge via usb and not only using wall charger
 
Many ppl bought batteries somewhere else, and then bought them from astro website por peace of mind
 
if you dont need the wireless, well, don't get it, just the wired and save some cash.
 
Let's hope someone with wireless mixamp can elaborate more

 

[BURNIN AMBITION]

i like the wireless more, i need the extrabass and i like the more jacks it has. all i want to know is if i can save on the battery pack. if the rf receiver can be charged through a usb cable that ends in the power plug then i dont the battery, i have a plug next to where i will be sitting so it is good for me this way. i will have it plugged all the time...

 

[iHasCake]

has anyone ever suggested that mad lust put approximate prices on the headphones he's reviewed and suggested?  i know it would help me a bit

 

[applepancakes]

for casual playing, movies etc -- i use v.i vst before dh vst and set the width to the max. makes it sound more encompassing to me.

 

[Ruahrc]

Pardon if I haven't covered all 150 pages of this thread, but has anyone had thoughts on the Turtle Beach XP500?  They're identical to the Turtle Beach PX5s, except the headphones are a different color and it includes a bluetooth dongle for your 360 controller, so the headphones are totally wireless.
 
I'm looking for a headset that I can use with my 360 and PC (and mac mini as well, for listening to general audio).
 
There are a few unique circumstances to my setup though:
 
1) I also have a 5.1 surround system set up that my mac mini and 360 hook into, using a receiver/decoder of sorts (it's the Klipsch DD5.1)
 
2) PC is nearby but in a separate room (meaning I could maybe run a toslink between the rooms if I needed to, but looking to avoid this if possible).
 
3) Both the mac mini and PC have bluetooth capability (maybe possibility to use the XP500 headphones as a pure bluetooth audio device on the computers?)
 
I understand that the mixamp 5.8 seems to be very highly regarded here, as it functions well (no hiss) and allows matching of any headset.  What I don't like about it though are the extra wires needed.  Hafta keep a dongle near you at all times, hafta run the headset wire to the dongle (with probably a huge amount of excess cable looping around as the distance is so short), hafta run another cable from the 360 controller to the dongle... what's the point of wireless if I'll end up with MORE wires running around my body?  With the XP500 there are no cables for gaming on the 360 (on the user side at least).
 
My main concerns are versatility (compatibility with all my devices), audio quality, and comfort (and roughly but not strictly in that order).  I know it seems like the consensus here is the pc360s+mixamp 5.8, but the mixamp 5.8 + pc360's is going to run over $300, which is a bit of a stretch for my budget.  I'm not averse to paying for quality but I'm just not sure I will be satisfied with the "inelegance" of the mixamp solution with still so many wires hanging around, particularly given the extraordinary price I'd be paying.  I was also thinking, since the XP500s have bluetooth functionality, would it be possible for me to use the headphones on my PC purely as a bluetooth audio device?  That would negate any need for me to run cabling between rooms (to get to the base unit of the PX5/mixamp).
 
I guess the root of the problem is that I think features wise the XP500 is a good fit for my needs, and more convenient (also a little cheaper) than the mixamp solution but I'm concerned about the audio quality.  I'm not expecting them to be on par or better than the PC360s, but I don't want to pay $250+ for a headset and have the audio quality turn out to be like a cheap $30 pair of headphones.  I'm considering giving some audio quality up in trade for the added convenience and elegance of the XP500 system vs. the mixamp, and realistically I don't really intend on doing a lot of music listening on these phones, nor do I do a lot of critical listening in general, but I am also not a stranger to good headphones and don't want to get a headphone that sounds bad, especially at the $250+ mark.  I don't play games competitively, and actually rarely (or never) play FPS games online, so I don't really demand much in the way of accurate positional audio.  I'm mainly looking for a versatile solution I can use with all my computers/consoles, mainly for night-time usage so I don't have to use speakers all the time, and do so in an easy and elegant manner.  I also want something better than my current PC setup which is to use a desktop mic along with some Koss KSC-35s that I plug into my desktop speakers.
 
Ruahrc
 

 

[Eric_C]

The XP500 sound good for a fuss-free solution, but you may want to check Turtle Beach re: bluetooth audio from you PC and Mac. They might cover it in a FAQ on their site.

Also, the Dolby receiver that you have--does it downmix 5.1 into simulated 5.1 for headphones? It's my understanding that not all receivers do this. If that's true of your receiver, it's probably better to just Bluetooth the XP500 straight from the 360.

Edit: just wanted to add that I'm very surprised the XP500's claim of grabbing chat audio from the USB port on a 360. This is the first device I've ever heard of that does sth like that.

 

[rayuma]

I believe in order to use the XP500s on the PC you would need to run a cable from the PC to the base unit.
 
Have you looked into the Tritton Warhead? It's another wireless headset for the Xbox 360, but it doesn't need to have the bluetooth dongle attached to the 360 controller as Tritton has partnered up with Microsoft.

 

[Ruahrc]

The receiver I have is not a true "receiver", but more of a dedicated decoder unit made by Klipsch for their 5.1 multimedia speakers.  It will receive digital SPDIF inputs and also analog too, and decode DD5.1 and DTS audio, as well as apply ProLogic to stereo signals.  There is no headphone out or dolby headphone processing.
 
Speaking of which, does the XP500/PX5 actually have dolby headphone downmixing, or does it use some kind of proprietary downmixing scheme?  I see what appears to he a dolby headphone logo on the front but cannot see any definitive reference to DH decoding in the literature.
 
Eric- where are you seeing the claim about grabbing chat audio via USB?  From what I understand it's just a 2.5mm to bluetooth adapter that sticks on your controller that does the chat audio, not anything via USB.  The Tritton is the one with no dongles whatsoever since they have teamed with MS to provide native chat functionality.
 
I believe in order to get dolby headphone output from the XP500s, you're right I'd need to run an optical audio cable out from my PC to the XP500s.  But if I just wanted stereo sound plus microphone capability, could I not just pair the headphones directly to the PC using bluetooth?  It would not get "5.1 downmixing" but would do stereo right?  And it would operate independently of the base (similarly to how it pairs to cell phones or bluetooth-enabled MP3 players).  Incidentally I did take out my longest toslink optical cable and see how far it goes though, and it actually looks like it might reach far enough to hook the PC up to the XP500 directly via toslink (especially since I'd need to incorporate a toslink switch, extending the cable reach a little more).
 
I looked at the Tritton Warhead, looks like it is not out yet.  I'm unsure as to the quality of the TB XP500's headphones, I'm even less confident about the Tritton Warhead, though this is just bias and I have no evidence to point me either way (why I was posting here, hoping someone has had direct experience with the PX5/XP500 headphones?)

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

I believe in order to use the XP500s on the PC you would need to run a cable from the PC to the base unit.
 
Have you looked into the Tritton Warhead? It's another wireless headset for the Xbox 360, but it doesn't need to have the bluetooth dongle attached to the 360 controller as Tritton has partnered up with Microsoft.

But there's no wire between XP500 and controller either, just a puck for Bluetooth.
http://www.engadget.com/2011/06/07/turtle-beachs-xp500-headset-brings-totally-wireless-7-1-to-the/
http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/40491/mad-catz-tritton-warhead-headphones

 

[Eric_C]

Quote:

Eric- where are you seeing the claim about grabbing chat audio via USB?  From what I understand it's just a 2.5mm to bluetooth adapter that sticks on your controller that does the chat audio, not anything via USB.  The Tritton is the one with no dongles whatsoever since they have teamed with MS to provide native chat functionality.
 

 
Sorry, I must have misread that post. Was checking the forum while on the go earlier.

 

[Ruahrc]

I think what rayuma's saying though is that the warhead does voice communication wirelessly with no dongles at all- since they're partnered with MS.  Aside from the official MS wireless headset, this seems to be unique among gaming headsets.  One potential issue with this is that it's presumably using the same proprietary RF technology that the MS wireless headset uses, which doesn't have the reputation for being the most reliable connection (I know mine will disconnect temporarily once or twice per gaming session).
 
P.S. OT rant but why don't these guys put multiple digital inputs on these things?  They're clearly gunning for the enthusiast gamer's market here, and the fairly well-off one at that.  Yet they don't acknowledge or design for the fact that most if not all their customers probably own more than one console, or have some other device (like a PC or blu-ray player) through which they'd like to use the headset?

 

[Manu A]

Hope you find a good set that fits your needs. I've owned/own the turtle beach px5, astro wireless mixamp, sennheiser pc360, 558 and 598 in that order. Currently rocking senn 598 with the astro mixamp and it's a perfect setup for me.
 
The turtle beach px5 was the first one i bought. Pretty good sound, heavy set of cans and fun with extras as bluetooth and needing only 1 cable between controller and headset if you don't have the bluetooth dongle. Think there are mixed reviews on it on youtube, only saw that there was some cons in the beginning of the release but a update after might probably have fixed it. The reason I returned mine was because of the hissing noise, maybe I was picky but it was to load for my taste.
 
Astro wireless mixamp works good for me. A must is the battery pack, this thing eats ****ty AAA batterys for breakfast and then some, I kid you not. I can still hear some hissing but not as load as the PX5, don't thinks so atleast because I didn't own them at the same time so not 100%. Eventhough it is wireless you gonna have a few cables running BUT I prefer having them running between me and the mobile RX unit then across the whole room as with the none wireless unit.
 
PC360 is good (depends what you compare it with), very practical but in my opinion also expensive. Practicality doesn't play that big of a part among my preferenses so i did mind spending that much on these phones so I returned them.
 
Sennheisers 558 were better sounding than the pc360 even for a audio novice as I the difference was noticable. The 558 worked good with a dealextreme.com mic for a few bucks. They went for 87% of the cost of the pc360, mic from dealextreme inc. in calculations, and as practicality wasn't a big issue for me a better bang for the buck than the pc360 in my opinion.
 
I returned the 558 to buy the 40% more expensive 598. I know I would have always wondered how much better the sound would have been with the 598's otherwise. Was it a good upgrade?? I haven't regretted it once. Soundwise I can't say much as I haven't tested them back to back, the sound is better then the pc360, no doubt. I didn't own the 558 long enough to break them in either. My guess is that the sound in my ears wouldn't be a big difference BUT ohh boy do these phone sound good and are a killer gaming phones. Can't tell you how many times someones has tried to sneak up beahind me in gears of war 3 and I do a back roll, turn 180 degrees and BAAM!! Headshoot b***h!! Well something like that..
The colour and style though, beware is very subjective to taste. This was one of the strongest reason I upgraded to 598's, you'll look like a BOSS wearing these. I totally dig the style but I know there are alot of people that think the look awful, probably same people wearing sweatpants and hoody to the club
 
Nuff rambling, hope you find a good set. This isn't a cheap way of going by trying to find a good set of headphones so hope you get it right with the first try. If I was gonna go with the best price to sound ratio I would have gone the astro 5.8 + senn 558 + dealextreme mic. What's the point of woppin suckas though if you're not gonns look good doing it.
 
Big up to everybody that made this thread what it is today, thanks alot for the help, super useful and eventhough I'm all set I still wander in here a couple times a week, that says alot about this thread and the work you've done, MLE and all, Thanks!
 
 
 
 

 

[Ruahrc]

Thanks for your comments Manu.  I think I'm leaning towards giving the XP500s a try, but at least making sure to do so from a retailer with a good return policy.  They just seem too convenient usage-wise to not give a go.  I do have some concerns about hiss and audio quality but I have also heard varying opinions on the issue, people say there is no hiss, others say they can hear it, etc.  It is likely more a factor of people's tolerance level/hearing than anything.  Therefore I probably just have to try them for myself.  If I don't like them I guess I can always return them and look at other options (like the mixamp).  I also was able to confirm that it does have actual Dolby Headphone downmixing, but it seems that the only way to get it is to use some of their built-in presets, like bass booster.  If I get these phones I'll probably have to install the configuration software on my PC and create a neutral profile with DH enabled.
 
Also I'm a little concerned about the 2.4GHz band transmission too.  I connect my 360 to my router via ethernet but the router sits right next to the 360 in my TV stand.  I think this might be the cause of some of the wireless issues I have with the standard MS voice communicator (although I don't have any problems using the controllers).  The mixamp definitely seems better in this regard.
 
Another thing I found was that they make an adapter cable for the XP500/PX5 headphones that allows them to operate in wired mode for connection to a PC via 2x 1/8 stereo mini jacks.  I think it plugs into the 360 controller port on the headphones themselves.  If I can't work the wireless connection to my PC with it being in another room then that is another option as well, albeit with no Dolby Headphone downmixing.  That's an acceptable alternative to me since I won't be moving around much when using the PC plus I'm sitting right in front of it so wireless is not as critical.
 
One aspect I am a little let down about is that none of these units seem to do DTS decoding.  That means if you watch Blu-rays with DTS-HD MA tracks, you get no surround sound.  Or do all blu-rays also have DD5.1 tracks as well?  I play blu-rays on my mac, but it's a little haxor because first I have to copy them to the HD (or I can use the streaming option) via MakeMKV and for the few BRs I have, I notice that if it has a DTS-MA track that's all there is, I don't see a way to get DD5.1 instead.  My klipsch decoder is too old (and no HDMI connections) to do DTS-MA lossless, but it does decode standard DTS so I still get surround sound when watching DTA-MA blu-rays via my speakers.