[MarbeL]

Which is better for gaming? Stero headphones or 5.1 headphones? All I really care about is the positioning capabilities. I want to be able to pin-point exactly where people are in a first person shooter game such as counter-strike. I want to have no trouble telling if a person is in front, behind, to the left, to the right, above, or below me. In suggesting which one is better to me, please don't include sound quality because I could really care less about how realistic a foot step sounds in a video game. I just want to know exactly where the sound is coming from. Thanks

 

[sailboat]

i have the hd555 and it's amazing how accurate the positioning is. add that to the list of other positive qualities that you didn't want included, and the hd555 is quite possibly the best headphones i've ever spent money on.

also: check out this review comparing the two

 

[MarbeL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sailboat /img/forum/go_quote.gif i have the hd555 and it's amazing how accurate the positioning is. add that to the list of other positive qualities that you don't want to hear, and the hd555 is quite possibly the best headphones i've ever spent money on.

Thats good to hear, what games did you use it for, and are you able to tell front, back, left, right, above, below?

 

[sailboat]

i play counter-strike source and it's pretty apparent where everything is. I keep an image of where all the players are from the start and where they're going, meaning I can hear across the map in some situations. With cheapo headphones you can still hear if a player is to the left or right but not precisely and the origin of gun sprays is even more clarified.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarbeL /img/forum/go_quote.gif Which is better for gaming? Stero headphones or 5.1 headphones? All I really care about is the positioning capabilities. I want to be able to pin-point exactly where people are in a first person shooter game such as counter-strike. I want to have no trouble telling if a person is in front, behind, to the left, to the right, above, or below me. In suggesting which one is better to me, please don't include sound quality because I could really care less about how realistic a foot step sounds in a video game. I just want to know exactly where the sound is coming from. Thanks

Stereo headphones are more then capable.. Biarural recordings prove this.. It all depends on how the sound & audio weer mixed..
You should care how realistic a foot step sounds in a video game..Good sound quality will allow you to hear them further away, with better clarity & higher resolution.
I wouldn't trust mouse makers to make good headphones..

I'd recommend the 555 plus 5.1 adapter so you will get better sound plus the benefit of 5.1.

 

[MarbeL]

Quote:

Originally Posted by kool bubba ice /img/forum/go_quote.gif Stereo headphones are more then capable.. Biarural recordings prove this.. It all depends on how the sound & audio weer mixed.. You should care how realistic a foot step sounds in a video game..Good sound quality will allow you to hear them further away, with better clarity & higher resolution. I wouldn't trust mouse makers to make good headphones.. I'd recommend the 555 plus 5.1 adapter so you will get better sound plus the benefit of 5.1.

Is a 5.1 adapter suppose to be my sound-card? If not, please explain or link me to the product.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarbeL /img/forum/go_quote.gif Is a 5.1 adapter suppose to be my sound-card? If not, please explain or link me to the product.

Some sound cards have Dolby headphone which enables 5.1 sound from 2 channel headphones.. There are some knock offs that offer 5.1.. Some are pretty decent other are not. Check what your card supports.

What I meant by a 5.1 adapter is, theres a few devices that support 5.1 DH, Dolby headphone, so you can experience 5.1 sound. JVC has one.. buy.com has them for around 80.00.. Then theres Astro's mixamp that supports 5.1 DH, & was made for gaming..Supports USB plus optical/coax.. But is a bit pricey 130.00..

The Medussa, will probably be better with pin pointing sounds from top & bottom. Even though I can hear people behind me & on top, it's something you need to get used too & adapt to..Not as easily recognizable as 5.1 headsets with 8 speakers.

It's a double edged sword.. The 555, sonicaly is much better then the Medussa.. Imaging, detail, clarity, soundstage, which are big for competitive gameplay, But without a 5.1 adapter or a sound card that supports 5.1 for headphones, I feel the Medussa's have an edge when hearing from above & behind. With my headphones its more like s learning curve to get used to it.. With 5.1 headphones it's more blatant.. Thats why I suggested a 5.1 adapter to go along with the 555, to get the best of both worlds.

Should you get the 595's over the 555's? Personally, Id get the 555's & use the extra cash to get a 5.1 adapter.. I have recommended the JVC to many on avsforum.com, & all were pleased with the results.. Theres also 555 users who bought the JVC too.. The thread is titled what gaming headphones to buy Theres over 900 replies but offers a wealth of information on 5.1 adapters.. Its on the 2nd page I believe..

The 555's offer a better build quality then the Medussa's.. Gaming 5.1 headphones seem to be made very cheaply & tend to break within 2 yrs of regular usage.

 

[kool bubba ice]

This is from my guide


1. 3D Imaging. How well you can 'see' with your ears.
You can visualize the surrounding, enemies, etc in
good detail without seeing them.

2. Soundstage/Audio positioning. How spacious the
headphones are. Easier to locate enemies & determine
their location to the left, right, forward or back.
See it as tunnel vision. A headphone with a small
soundstage is like looking straight at a tree.. A
headphone with a big soundstage is like looking at
forest.

3. Detail. How well the headphone picks up faint
background noise, ambiance, & other audio nuances.

4. Clarity. Headphones with great clarity allows you
to hear sounds without smearing, making the sound more 'real' &
easier to identify.. More clear & less congested..

5. Bass. For competitive play you don't want loud bass
that drowns out other frequencies. You want crisp,
tight bass..