Great thread here, I thought I might also post some thoughts.

I have also been researching heavily for a gaming headphone purcahse.

At first I was looking at the astro a40 and mixamp combo, then I researched "true surround", bought some TB HPX's (returning, man they hurt my ears), and listened to some sony hdr-rf6000 wireless surround sound headphones (I was impressed with those by the way).

I am leaning towards the AD700s but I can not decide which decoder to try an hook them up to.

The TB X41s have caught my eye lately for a number of reasons, they support dolby headphone technology, they are wireless (was a skeptic until I heard the sony's), have a built in mic, control game/chat volume, a headphone connection (I could connect AD700s or any headphone to the X41 decoder)

I am wondering, is the TB decoder just as good or better than the astro a40 mixamp as far as sound quality goes? If I hook up wired headphones to the x41 decoder would it be much different compared to the astro decoder?

I figure there has to be some minor difference in the decoding technology if TB advertises their headset as 7.1 and Astro as 5.1.

I am just thinking for 80 dollars more than the astro mixamp I could have a possibly better decoder, with wireless headphones, that will ALSO hook up with some good headphones like the AD700s.


foe-hammer I have really enjoyed reading your posts, very very informative
Thanks

-Matt

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Matt, you're most welcome. I've been down this road and bought a lot of useless equipment in the process. Hopefully my experience helps.

Now for your question... I do not recommend messing with the TB x41's. While being wireless and all sounds rather temping, i was very underwhelmed by the x4's performance. Not only was the sound small with lack of detail, but there as a constant hiss at all volume. And i'd be rather dubious about the x41's amp for powering audio grade headphones. The Astro MixAmp is currently the best option for Dolby Headphone xbox console gaming. I have a pair of wireless headphones that support Dolby Headphone; Pioneer 1000C. They perform extremely well- no hissing. So i don't know why TB cannot get it done right. Prob a quality issue.

I am planning on doing an Astro Mixamp setup as well (yay Santa!). My research has led me to consider the DT990 as the headphone. I want the superior bass that those cans are supposed to have over the DT770. (The AD700 will not work for me since I want an open can).

If you don't mind a closed can, I own the Ultrasone 780s and they are very nice for gaming.

Foe-hammer,

Thanks for your input, more valuable information, I talked to turtle beach and they said.

"Astro uses the same Dolby chip as in our X4. The X41 has the upgrade. That being said though, you would be hard pressed to hear the difference between the two if used in the same headset.

We are very confident that the HPX has better sound quality than the Astro A40 because it uses four high quality drivers, whereas the A40 only has two. Because of the multiple speaker design configured for stereo output (just like the A40 that only uses two speakers), the HPX has double the output capacity (SPL) and 50% less distortion ratio. The speakers are basically identical, so when you double the surface area, it is logical that the HPX has much greater capabilities. Also, remember that the speaker placement of the HPX will enhance front/rear sound positioning as opposed to the A40--which has the single speaker pointing straight into your ear."


I am still probably going to get the Astro Mixamp, but it is interesting to know that they use the same DSP. And the X41s use a newer Dolby processor.

My question for you is, in your opinion, whats the best headphone/headset combo for use with the astro mixamp, and video games (only video games maybe some blu-rays) for under $350.00, bang for buck wise. I know the AD700s can be picked up for under 100, is there something closer to $350 that is better for gaming?

Closed/Open design makes no difference to me.

The issue I have with using my closed Ultrasone 780s for gaming is when I use a mic. Because they block external sound so well, my voice sounds very funny when I talk. It is highly annoying to me, but YMMV. But it is something to consider for a gaming phone if you do online gaming and use a mic.

I have the same budget that you do, and I think I'm going to ask santa for the beyerdynamic DT 990. They are open and reportedly have a lot of bass which I think is important for gaming. My only question is if the Astro Mix amp is enough to drive them.

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1) I was unaware that Dolby had a new DH processor; newer then what the Astro A40's use. I would really like to see some validation from Dolby concerning this. And why wouldn't the new MixAmp use this new DH processor? Maybe it does, and astro doesn't want to say anything due to previous customers wanting to return their older mixamps for the newer one.

2) DH is DH, so i always knew that the TB x4's used the same DH processor as the Astro's.

3) I was wondering if the 3.5mm headphone input on the TB x41's allow for game sound and chat volume?

4) The TB HPX's are a fantastic deal, and one of the best headsets available. But they are lacking in comfort. Particularly the shallow depth of the ear pads. So keep that in mind.

5) The best headphones / headset in the $350 price range for gaming are most definitely the Beyer DT880 250ohm 2005 editions. They have the best all around package for gaming:

- Large soundstage
- Very detailed
- Very good bass impact
- Good mid range (hearing foot steps and the like)
- Excellent 3D sound placement
- Overall very rich sound
- Very comfortable

They also have the best synergy of all the headphones i've tried with DH. And the MixAmp drives the well. I recommend the DT880's along with a califone neck mic or modern warfare 2 throat mic. Both work better then a boom mic (no mic in your face).

Thanks!

The x41 can not balance the game/voice chat, that feature is on the x41 cord that goes to the 360. You would have to set the voice to come out over the speakers and buy that steelseries cable adapter for the mic, I believe. You can adjust the headphone volume however.

And TB actually said it has an upgrade DSP not a "newer" one, I misspoke. Doubt it makes any difference, but I am sure it is what enables TB to advertise 7.1 support instead of 5.1.


Through my research all day I had actually come across that the Beyer DT880 were great headphones, I just did not know if the Astro amp could power them, its awesome to know that it can.

And its funny you mention the HPX ear cups because I have that EXACT complaint, they freaking hurt my ears after like an hour, the padding is so shallow, I actually debated returning them, but I am just going to stick it out and see how they work with the Astro mixamp, and buy the Beyer DT880 in the meantime to be my primary gaming headphone.


Thanks for the help!!

Great info posted by you guys, thanks for taking the time to post in detail.

I have a couple of related questions: Is this the califone nec mic you were referring to? NM-316 If so, can you comment on it's ease of use; the belt pack transmitter seems like it adds some extras in wiring and total components to the mix that a dedicated headset wouldn't. But maybe the extra components add up to better total bang for the buck.

Speaking to that end, any reason not to go with the MMX 300 headset? I understand that it's a step down (one?) from the dt880 in sound quality, but not having heard either one yet I'd be very interested to hear your thoughts on the comparison.