[thornygravy]

So I'm using Fostex TH600s my gaming headphones. I decided on the ModMic 4 because the 5 is like $200 bucks. I was looking at the desktop mic route but I use mx blues and my pc has a lot of fans, but I almost wish I did because this thing has been a nightmare.

I have an old X-Fi Titanium hooked up to a PA2v2 powering the headphones, and I'm running the modmic into the 3.5mm mic in. Quite a bit quieter than any other mics I've plugged into that port, but the humming and amount of hiss is absurd. (I've done the whole checked my levels, Equalizer APO gain adjustment, Reaper VST stuff and it just makes things worse)

So I watched some videos, read some threads that said I should try a cheap-o usb audio adapter. I bought this one by plugable that was like $10. The hum is gone, but it's still hisses like hell, and it's waaay quieter than the mic-in on my X-Fi...

So I see Antlion offers a usb adapter so I figured maybe that one right? But the reviews say it only puts out 2.8v or something and not to buy that either. I have one more by a different brand on the way, but something tells that one is going to be crap as well.

I had been thinking about getting an actual headphone amp (love the PA2v2 but it's not really a desktop amp lol), and saw a video Zeos put out about devices like the Mayflower Arc that have a mic input. Just looking for some help.

Has anyone dealt with this crap?

 

[JackFX]

I prefer the ATGM2, similar to modmic but better quality as its audio-technica. You can just use the regular microphone input you dont need to use USB

 

[thornygravy]

Figured the least I could do is follow up with my solution. I thought most of these usb audio adapters would yield the same results but I was so wrong. I ended up receiving one by Sabrent and the Antlion one, to see if I'd have any luck.

As speculated above, the Antlion is a little quiet but.. sounded better way better than both the Plugable adapter and the mic-in on the X-Fi... and the Sabrent one is damn near perfect in terms of output and being interference free.

https://www.amazon.com/Sabrent-Aluminum-External-Adapter-AU-EMAC/dp/B00OJ5AV8I/

Just providing the details for poor fools like me who got sucked up into the modmic hype, I'm happy with the result now.. but if I had known the headache going in.. probably would have steered clear from the modmic.