[Shazam777]

Well im in a bit of a pickle here. I've posted in multiple forums and haven't received much luck. I have A Sennheiser HD555+Bravo v2+and zalman clip on mic combo previously for my PS3. It worked for the most part, But I hated the clip on mic with a passion. I'm sorry not to be rude to anyone who loves it, but I hate that it picked up every thing in my room . It's not a boom mic, and since my room is the bus stop to get to hell, I have a fan on constantly and it annoyed other players when chatting online. But I dealt with it as best I could. Trying this setup on Xbox 360...Not so good. It was horrible due to the 360 utterly bad sound. plus the fact I had to have both voice and Chat on the same channel made it nearly impossible to hear team-mates and/or use the headsets to their full functionality. Also to add to the fun, my current PC Headset broke on me. It was never a good one, but decent enough...more or less. So now I need a headset for my PS3(Least Important), Xbox 360(most important) and PC(second most important)

I grew tired of the Bravo setup due to the fact I rarely use my PS3 nowadays(which for PS3, worked fine) and Since a whole ton of titles, more importantly big multiplayer games are hitting, (which I will be getting for 360) and the fact that the setup was "ehh" at best on 360(total blame on the xbox ^_^...or me I dont know). So I looked into the Astro A40 Sound system(Don't flame me just yet, keep reading) since I wanted something that would work on all three systems and just wanted to cave on the whole research and setup aspect of things. I've heard of Astros headsets themselves being low quality, but now they have a 2011 version which fixed all the issues of its predecessor. Whatever, I never heard the first one, so I'm a virgin going into it regardless.(wow that sounded incredibly Ga...). It is $250 + $12 for it to be shipped to me. I nearly took the plunge. But decided to be myself, and look at reviews like I always do(I hate me), but to my avail I saw more praise on the sets than before(on the 2009) editions. Not too many horrible reviews...but the ones I did see were enough to have me reconsider.

Astro Mixamp: I got to the conclusion(sadly there is more writing I'm sorry), that the real draw is the Astro Mixamp. I've seen alot of mic setups and a lot of people recommending this mixamp for exactly what I need. I hear the Headsets are crap and not worth $120(since the amp is $130). I would use a TOSLink cable on the 360 Optical port(I'm sure the Slim has one...If not then this is a shot in the dark, and a jab to the crotch if it doesn't) and etc. The Mixamp comes with the necessary cables(except Optical) such as 360 chat cable and PC Y Connector for Separate audio/mic hook-ups(what I need, I think).

Audio Technica AD700: Well, from what I hear in alot of forums and internet talk(Keyword is "HEAR" not my opinion cause I don't know) is they are better for "gaming" then the HD555's...Of course this all opinions and whatnot. Also check out this pic:

ATH AD700 with Mic

This is basically the mod I want to do with the AD700. (Here comes a stupid part) Putting the mic mod will be much easier on the AD700 than on the HD555 since the AT's have the flat recess on the cup whereas the HD555's is rounded. I'm not smart and I'm pretty sure an unborn fetus knows how to put the mod on HD555's, but I'm quite "Not there" in the head at times(notice the long post). But like I said this isn't the only reason I want them. The "gaming" aspect(no confirmation on this) over the Sennheisers and I hear they're more comfortable. The HD555's pinch my glasses and hurt at times over extended periods of time. But I know both are solid sets.

Labtec LVA-7330-Boom mic, plain and simple. I hate the clip-on zalman so much, mostly cause of the environment I'm in. Although the labtec is quite hard to come by, nowadays but I have a source(sound like a drug dealer...) Plus I can bend it to be comfortable, unlike the zalman I usually had to deepthroat the mic for anyone to hear me(Did I just say that?!?)


So I can grab a pair of the Headphones for around 80-100 New, The Mic, $10 new and The Mixamp would be $130. Total around $235(less than the Astro A40 Sound system). With all things considered in this post and the things I am looking for, Is this the route I should take? If yes or no please feel free to give me more insight. Audio is definitely not my forte, I just want the best deal for my money. If there is a better headset or combination I should go for that doesnt break the bank, I'm all ears. Thank you for your time and reading this long post. I apoligise for my stupid humor beforehand...it's a curse. And please if I said something wrong cause of lack of knowledge please forgive me, I'm not trying to troll. Thanks again

EDIT: I posted this elsewhere, and I haven't received much feed back. One person told me that it was a waste of money to get the mixamp. IF so How would I use the Headset and mic combo? I thought some sort of mixamp/tube amp was needed for Audiophile headphones to work on the consoles. I'm sorry If I'm in the wrong, I just don't see where else I could possibly plug it in to give me voice chat and Game sound

 

[Shazam777]

"bump" anyone? 
 

 

[Rebel975]

Mixamp + headphones of your choice + Labtec LVA-7330 = best setup you can have for any console.
 
You'll need this: http://www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Xbox-Audio-Dongle-Adapter-Cable/dp/B002WIG4LW
 
 
That's your optical port for the Xbox. I had the Zalman... it sucked. Same problem you described. It can pick up even the smallest of noises in the room, but can't pick up my voice unless I put it halfway in my mouth. The LVA-7330 is perfect.

 

[TMRaven]

Definitely go for it.

 

[Shazam777]

So I do need the mixamp for this to work, correct? i figured I did. Thank you for the replies. Thankfully I own that Dongle. Needed it for my old turtlebeach's. I also have the Slim Xbox 360, which I believe has a dedicated optical port. But at least I have my bases covered. Any other Headphones you guys would recommend? Around 80-140 dollar range? I hear the Ad700's are really good, just wondering if there are others that are significantly better.
 
Thanks again guys

 

[Rebel975]

You only 'need' the mixamp if you want to have Dolby Headphone and a game volume to chat volume mixer. So yes, you need the mixamp.
 
IDK about the headphones. I have heard that the AD700's are good though.

 

[Shazam777]

Ok Got ya. Would you recommend Open-Air or Closed headsets? Cause I'm interested in the A700 as well as the A900 from Audio Technica and those are "closed" Sorry for all the questions.

 

[TMRaven]

Closed if you're going to be in noisy environments and you feel you need that extra isolation from the outside.  Other than that, if you're gaming in a room by yourself, I think you should go for open, as they're usually more comfortable for longer periods of time and can be crisper sounding with a larger soundstage.  AD700 suffers form a lack of low bass as do a lot of headphones, so if extended low bass is your priority, then you should be looking elsewhere.

 

[Shazam777]

Ok I hear ya. How loud is the sound leakage you would say in open? Someone else may be in the room from time to time. I was interested also in these as well aside from the ATHAD700
 
ATH-AD900- If anyone can comment on the bass bein better or equal to the 700's
ATH-A900 (both from audio technica)
Sennheiser HD598
 
Thanks for the replies. You are really helping me out. Sorry if any of my posts sound ignorant, I'm not trying to troll, I genuinely lack knowledge in this area, but I'm working on it.(Enough to knows headsets like astros, trittons, and turtlebeach are subpar, =p) It's hard to go to a store of any kind to try these on, There isn;t any stores near me(about 65 miles or more) that carry these type of headsets So I have to go With tons of research, word of mouth, reviews, and my gut lol. Thank God for return policies
 
Also is it true the Astro mixamp is to weak to power "higher-end" headphones such as AKG K702's and such? basically sound quality will be lost unless I opt for something stronger than just the mixamp, correct?

 

[Rebel975]

You'll probably prefer open headphones if you plan on talking with them on. If you have a pair of closed headphones you won't be able to hear yourself, and people will ask you why you start yelling when you game. The only downside of open headphones is that it leaks sound. It's not "that" bad for other people in the room, but if they're watching TV or something... it'll annoy you. You'll hear the TV as if you didn't have anything on, unless you turn up the volume a bit. But hey, at least you'll hear yourself talking.
 
But yes, the Mixamp isn't designed for headphones with an impedance of more than 32 ohms. There are "higher end" headphones such as my Ultrasone PRO 2900's that are pretty low impedance (40 ohms) that work just fine. Just don't go buying a 600 ohm headphone and expect the Mixamp to drive it to loud volumes, especially if you mix in any voice chat volume.
 
 
As a means of comparison, the FiiO e11 ($65) does 200mw at 32 ohms impedance... the Astro Mixamp does 70. And by the way, you can always buy a higher impedance headphone and use an additional amp in your audio chain. I've read about people using the FiiO e11 with high impedance headphones, and they claim that it works beautifully.

 

[Shazam777]

Great description on both open and closed. I believe the impedence on the AKG K702's were 62ohm(from what I saw on the spec sheet) so those wouldn't work I suppose. I guess I'v enarrowed it down to "open" either the HD598's or the ATHAD900. I'd get the cheaper 700's but that color just throws me off. But if they're exactly the same as the 900's then I guess I can tough it out and save over $100.
 
Quote:

 
As a means of comparison, the FiiO e11 ($65) does 200mw at 32 ohms impedance... the Astro Mixamp does 70. And by the way, you can always buy a higher impedance headphone and use an additional amp in your audio chain. I've read about people using the FiiO e11 with high impedance headphones, and they claim that it works beautifully.

The "audio chain" threw me for a loop lol. Sounds complicated, How would that even hook up I wonder.
 
And yeah I wasn't planning on getting anything ridiculous like Sennheiser HD 800's...That'd be a waste.
 

 

[VuongPham117]

I am also looking for a gaming set up myself, most of my research was done through this thread here; http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/534479/mad-lust-envy-aka-shin-cz-s-guide-to-headphone-gaming-particularly-with-dolby-headphone
 
Dozens of pages with great advice in this thread.
 
I have considered getting the AD700s but I figured that I want to use a headset for more than just gaming but also for movies and music. For this reason I have decided to go with the DT 990s 600ohm instead.
 
From what I've gathered, there are two things to consider (in your case). The AD700s are a beast at soundstaging and positional placements, like hearing footsteps in Modern Warfare. But these headphones contain very little bass and the explosions won't be the best. 
 
Secondly, if you are planning to use headphones for an MLG tournament, you might as well get the A40s. At tournaments they have specific set ups and your headsets need to be able to accommodate with their settings. Although the A40's may have "cheap" and "pathetic" drivers - they are very good at the chat function which is absolutely necessary if you plan to compete with a team.
 
As for me, I am planning to purchase the DT 990s because I only primarily play MW2 and am not going pro any time soon. I want something that is multi-purpose and is "fun", yet meanwhile able to put me on a higher competitive edge.
 
I hope this helps you in any way.

 

[VuongPham117]

I forgot to mention that the Astro Mixamp is pretty much absolutely needed for its Dolby Headphone feature.
 
And also that a downside of the DT 990s, is that you might need an extra amp (like the FiiO e9) to power it along with the astro mix amp because it requires a lot of energy. I already have the E9 so this won't be a problem for me.

 

[Rebel975]

A 62 ohm headphone might be pushing it for the Mixamp. But it's especially when you get into the several hundred ohm range that the mixamp simply can't deliver the necessary power to drive the headphones to any reasonable volume, especially with chat volume mixed in.
 
By "audio chain" I just mean the chain of components. For example, my current chain is: Xbox > Mixamp > Ultrasone PRO 2900, or Xonar Essence ST > Ultrasone PRO 2900. To use a higher impedance headphone with the mixamp it would simply be a matter of inserting an additional amplifier into the chain. Example: Xbox > Mixamp > Fiio e9 (or other amplifier) > High impedance headphones. Of course, this requires that you purchase an additional amp...
 
If you plan on competing in MLG events then I would get either the Astro A40's or Turtle Beach HPX.
 
If money is an issue, and you're never going to compete in MLG events then I would get the ATH-AD700's and just spraypaint the grills a different color. That purple really is a turn off, isn't it?
 
 
If you want to spend a little more on the headphones, then the HD598's should do nicely.
 
 
 
BTW- if you thought that the original Fragtality mod was cool, then check this out.
 
Link

 

[Shazam777]

Is there another more powerful amp that can work with 360/PS3, or Will need the astro with Fiio 9(11) attachment. The only reason I considered the ATH-AD900's was because I heard(no pun intended) The bass was improved over the 700's.Of course this is all great, if true, but I do not have the slightest clue, can anyone confirm this? Im not a Bass-afficionado but I like it to an extent, if that makes sense.
 
BTW the link above didn't work
 
I will continue to browse...I just want to have ease of mind lol