[bluestank]

Hi all,
If anyone knows a better place to ask gaming-related audio questions, I would be glad to post there.
 
I've got some Sennheiser HD 558 headphones, and just got some Shure SE215 IEMs. Both of them sound spectacular to me when I am listening to my music (typically Spotify, HD streaming) which typically I only need to have at 40-50% volume to enjoy decently loud. This is my rig if it helps or matters: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XjzC3C.
 
However, whenever I fire up a game, (most recently Battlefield 1 or Thumper just as an example) I find I lose a lot of the richness and base compared to my music, and I also have to raise the PC volume up to 100% to get the same volume level. This is with the in-game sliders also to 100%
 
Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this discrepancy? I would really like to feel the bullets when I fire them, and hear the whole spectrum as well as my music.

 

[ProtegeManiac]

  If anyone knows a better place to ask gaming-related audio questions, I would be glad to post there.

 
Try here too:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/534479/mad-lust-envys-headphone-gaming-guide-3-18-2016-mrspeakers-ether-c-1-1-added
 

 
I've got some Sennheiser HD 558 headphones, and just got some Shure SE215 IEMs. Both of them sound spectacular to me when I am listening to my music (typically Spotify, HD streaming) which typically I only need to have at 40-50% volume to enjoy decently loud. This is my rig if it helps or matters: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XjzC3C.
 
However, whenever I fire up a game, (most recently Battlefield 1 or Thumper just as an example) I find I lose a lot of the richness and base compared to my music, and I also have to raise the PC volume up to 100% to get the same volume level. This is with the in-game sliders also to 100%
 
Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this discrepancy? I would really like to feel the bullets when I fire them, and hear the whole spectrum as well as my music.

 

Check the game settings, it might be set to 5.1 or 7.1 surround, so if you're getting only Front Left and Front Right - no Center, no Sub, no surround L and R - then a lot of the information is missing. BF1 might also have built in surround simulation (Overwatch and CS:GO supposedly have it), and if it does, then disable that - while you're getting 6ch audio it has reverb mixed in to simulate location based on distance. A gunshot from 10m away won't sound like it really came from 10m away, but it's not going to be "in your face" (or "in your head").

 

Check the motherboard's audio settings too as that board AFAIK has virtual surround on the headphone output.

 

If you're on normal 2ch audio with no simulation, one problem could be the tonal difference between an MP3 explosion SFX vs musical instruments or synthetic bass on EDM and hiphop.

 

[bluestank]

That was a great answer, and thank you. I will go take a look when I get home today, especially your suggestion about the motherboard. I don't know if it is the game settings, as it is pretty consistent across the board. 
 
For your last point, is there a way to "fix" this tonal difference? Do you think an amp would be a solution, assuming everything else doesn't work? 

 

[ProtegeManiac]

 
For your last point, is there a way to "fix" this tonal difference?

 

If it wasn't a problem with surround sound settings or any other DSP trick you don't happen to like, you can just enable an EQ profile, either with your motherboard's sound suite or download Equalizer APO (you can disable it for music). Just boost every frequency below 150hz.

 

Again though barring DSP settings this might be a function of how inherently different the material is. In music, double bass strumming, bass guitar slaps and plucks will sound deep and sometimes hard, but not all explosions sound like sci-fi explosions in space SFX with that signature low bass "thWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!" to it (not to mention that, given there is no atmosphere in space, technically Star Wars got it right in how there shouldn't be any sound unless you're on the Death Star itself). On top of it all, game SFX are encoded in MP3.

 

 
Do you think an amp would be a solution, assuming everything else doesn't work? 

 

Assuming that the reason why they sound "right" to you for music is that the motherboard's amp circuit isn't distorting, then adding an amp wouldn't fix it. Going for a better amp just means you get more power with less distortion.
 

If anything I've done more to tell people to not stress about the quality of the headphone and amp distortion as much for gaming considering critical listening to music entails more attention to hear that the double bass for example sounds bloated or is too weak, compared to how one would normally be too busy processing other stimuli (visual, comms with humans or scripted comms in single player, etc) and strategizing to meet objectives (ie, fragging) to really take note about how that explosion doesn't sound right. And besides, what's the reference for that? I play instruments and go to live music performances, but my only weapons sound reference are firing guns at the range (with my own gun on my hands but I'm wearing ear muffs). Unless you're a soldier you'd have no real reference for what a gunfight should really sound like (and if it's too realistic, hoo boy, chances are you'd be getting flashbacks, because not everybody gets through that like it was just another day at work).

 

[PurpleAngel]

  If anyone knows a better place to ask gaming-related audio questions, I would be glad to post there.
I've got some Sennheiser HD 558 headphones, and just got some Shure SE215 IEMs. Both of them sound spectacular to me when I am listening to my music (typically Spotify, HD streaming) which typically I only need to have at 40-50% volume to enjoy decently loud. This is my rig if it helps or matters: https://pcpartpicker.com/list/XjzC3C.
However, whenever I fire up a game, (most recently Battlefield 1 or Thumper just as an example) I find I lose a lot of the richness and base compared to my music, and I also have to raise the PC volume up to 100% to get the same volume level. This is with the in-game sliders also to 100%
Does anyone have any idea what might be causing this discrepancy? I would really like to feel the bullets when I fire them, and hear the whole spectrum as well as my music.

 
Your motherboard comes with the Realtek ALC1150 audio processor and Realtek software.
Your motherboard also comes with Creative Sound Blaster Cinema 2 software.
Which audio software do you use while gaming?
 
I would try to talk you into getting a Creative Labs Sound Blaster Z sound card.
I would assume it would improve audio quality at least a little and might improve headphone surround sound for gaming.
 
Might also consider removing the black rubber tape from inside the cups of the HD558, makes them more open and more like the HD598.
 
Here is the aftermarket cable i bought for my HD558.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/261255113290?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&var=560215640802&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT