[ZzBOG]

Hey guys, so I kinda pulled the trigger and got the Astro Mixamp pro (new, wired one). Hooked it to PS3 via optical and ran around some BF3 maps for a while. I am using Sennheiser HD25-II and I must say I am far from being impressed.
I was planning to get Q701 but now I have some second thoughts.. Can someone say, will the experience improve enough to justify a purchase of new headphones? I am doing this for the sake of increasing the immenseness of experience.. but if the difference will be just a bit clearer sound than it's not worth it. If I will really get a crazy soundstage an hear helicopters flying above my head, then definitely yes..
 
In other words if it will be like going from just $100 headphones to $200 headphones, then no. If there is more to it, then yeah, I will jump in...
 
Never used open headphones though.. IEMS and closed ones only.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Your problem is that your using the HD25-II which is closed and portable, possibly losing out the needed soundstage and positioning to let Dolby Headphone do it's job. Also, you're demoing Battlefield 3 which is NOT GREAT to demo with Dolby Headphone. Those BF games have NEVER had good positional audio. The sound quality from Dice is great, but they don't do positioning very well.


Also, make sure to NEVER use the Headphone settings in those games, as that is only when you're plugging headphones into basic devices without processing.

You might wanna test out more games.

Also check the dolby headphone vid on the first post (watch it in BASIC stereo, as the vid is already processed), and go to the time I mentioned. If you still can't get positional audio that sounds like that vid, then I'm sorry for you.

The difference between basic stereo and Dolby Headphone is HUGE, and it shouldn't just sound 'clearer'. It should sound completely different.

 

[ZzBOG]

cool that answers it I guess )

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Oh yes, the difference between closed and open, is pretty staggering. Open headphones have a very distinctive sound, usually way more dimensional than closed ones, that sound closed in and congested for the most part. It's very hard to get a closed headphone that can compete with open ones in Dolby Headphone.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Having been without the D7000 for a while now, I can say that I'm glad it's not here. I've been enjoying the Pro 900 quite a bit lately, and not having the D7000 next to it to show it's weaknesses compared to it, make it a better can to me.
Sometimes having multiple cans is a double edged sword, as you'll be missing one aspect of the sound from one, and vice versa. I can just literally put on the Pro 900 and rock out, faults or not.

Of course, my HE400 arrives this Wednesday, which may make the Pro 900 obsolete. :rolleyes:

Despite the Pro 900 having it's flaws, they really are one of those cans that I'd recommend as an all rounder. However, it's biggest issue is it's treble. Playing Uncharted 3, some weapons sound pretty damn harsh with every round fired. Had to lower the volume some for those weapons.

 

[Evshrug]

What game has impressed you most with positional audio, just curious?

 

[Hailin]

Quote:

What game has impressed you most with positional audio, just curious?

For me it is Dead Island that game creeps me the hell out.

 

[AxelCloris]

This may be just me, but Mass Effect 3 really impressed me with positional queues. When I was playing single player, and my 2 companions (Tali/Garrus) were behind me talking, it was awesome hearing when they moved left and right behind me, and I couldn't see them at all. Also really nice in combat because I tended to ignore the minimap and just go based off sound. When I heard an enemy shouting or screeching, I could pick out where they were without looking.

 

[Evshrug]

I remember being very impressed with the Occlusion in Halo 3 and Reach, I'll have to try them again now that I have a surround option, for the first time. I bet most horror games put a lot of stock in their sound, so I'll have to dig out Alan Wake. And portal 2.

 

[Hailin]

Quote:

This may be just me, but Mass Effect 3 really impressed me with positional queues. When I was playing single player, and my 2 companions (Tali/Garrus) were behind me talking, it was awesome hearing when they moved left and right behind me, and I couldn't see them at all. Also really nice in combat because I tended to ignore the minimap and just go based off sound. When I heard an enemy shouting or screeching, I could pick out where they were without looking.

This is a really great one too. I love my mixamp setup in multiplayer.

 

[NamelessPFG]

Quote:

What game has impressed you most with positional audio, just curious?

 
For me, it's the Thief series, hands-down. The sound design in those games still remains unrivaled out of everything I've heard, in large part due to how sound plays a key role in the gameplay. You don't want the guards to hear you, after all, and you also want to know where they are without having to see them.
 
Unreal Tournament also has great positioning, though I do make sure to install the Old Unreal patch with the OpenAL audio renderer. While there is a sound fall-off at longer distances (it's intrinsic to the engine no matter what audio renderer you use), anything reasonably close is easy to pinpoint.
 
The Battlefield series also excels in positioning...well, only up to 2142. Bad Company 2's software audio mixing is terrible from a positional standpoint, and going by Mad Lust Envy's statements, BF3 doesn't fare any better. But the first four games (BF1942, BF: Vietnam, BF2, BF2142) are great, so long as you use ALchemy on the first two (they use DirectSound3D).

 

[seanmcloughlin7]

really love this post, I am brand new here because of this thread and have a few things to ask and say. I recently had money to buy a set of headphones and got the Corsair Vengeance 1500 7.1 headset because it was relatively cheap and the best of a bad lot, but I was told they are horrible. To me they sounded great, had fairly good positional audio and the bass was Ok, it was tight more than boomy and worked fine.
But I wanted something more so I saw a second hand set of Logitech Z5500 speakers and got them and while they're fine speakers I find the Subwoofer to completely drown out EVERYTHING. The bass is almost constant with them and overpowering all the time and if I lower the sub it almost disappears so there is no middle ground with it. That and the front speakers have some low sound when playing the likes of BF3. 
 
So all said and done I would like to know what you guys and TC especially think are THE best headphones for gaming? What I want in them are good positional audio as most of my time is in Battlefield 3 and I love horror games so Localisation is a must. And secondly I want really good bass. I know you have to sort of compromise between the two with headphones but what has the best of both? If I can find a good set I am going to sell the things I listed above 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Again, Battlefield 3 does not have good positional audio. The sound quality itself is amazing, but they didn't do actual cues well. Doesn't matter what headphones you use.


As far as what's the best game (that I remember with amazing positional audio), I too have to say Mass Effect 3. That game really just got it well. (As did Mass Effect 2). Can't remember what else at the moment.

I know what I have to do. From this point on, I'm going to make a list of games that work well with Dolby Headphone, as well as specifics. Like for instance: Black Ops has mediocre performance in the campaign and online. That is, until you put on the Ninja perk (especially Ninja Pro). Then the game works well with Dolby headphone. I won't be able to go back and remember all the games that worked well, but I will try my best. I will also try and put up a list of games that DON'T work well with Dolby Headphone. One recent example is Uncharted 3. No matter what setting I used, the positional cues were not impressive, at all.

These lists will be added to the first post, at the END of the post. It's going to be a very small list right now, but will grow as I play/remember the games. Will most likely come once I update the guide with the HE400 soon.

To everyone testing positional cues on the Mixamp, remember that being too close to the origin of a sound, won't sound good. You have to put some distance to let rear sound placement sound like its behind you. If you're too close, it will sound like its in your head. Dolby Headphones weakness is sounds directly behind you from close range.

I mean it in that it takes some practice to learn how to discern close rear sound cues. I remember having to wait a few moments to learn this when I first got my Mixamp. I'd play CoD4 and would rush ahead, only to find out there was someone behind me. I blame the A40s though, as when I got the AD700, that didn't happen.

 

[seanmcloughlin7]

Quote:

To everyone testing positional cues on the Mixamp, remember that being too close to the origin of a sound, won't sound good. You have to put some distance to let rear sound placement sound like its behind you. If you're too close, it will sound like its in your head. Dolby Headphones weakness is sounds directly behind you from close range.
I mean it in that it takes some practice to learn how to discern close rear sound cues. I remember having to wait a few moments to learn this when I first got my Mixamp. I'd play CoD4 and would rush ahead, only to find out there was someone behind me. I blame the A40s though, as when I got the AD700, that didn't happen.

This is exactly what happens with my Vengeance 1500 headset. Stuff would happen behind me and it sounded like it was in the front and when you go to turn your ears adjust to where the sound actually is and it really confuses you for a moment. 
Still trying to find out what is the best headphones all round though for positional and quality, with an emphasis on good bass. Or even a really good set quality wise that could use virtual surround 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

How much are you willing to spend? I assume you don't have a dolby headphone device and are playing on PC. You might wanna get one of those soundcards first, I think Xonar has the DG (and others) which is cheap and has Dolby Headphone. What's your budget? Good emphasis on bass and good positional cues, would be the DT990 Pro, and to a lesser extent, the DT770 Pro 80 as a closed alternative.