Mad Lust Envy's Headphone Gaming Guide: (8/18/2022: iFi GO Blu Review Added)
Jul 27, 2021 at 8:34 AM Post #47,101 of 48,566
Exclusive mode will have lower latency, so less sound lag, though I can't tell (it's only about 1 1/2 frame difference, which is essentially instantaneous), so I use Shared when I can. Exclusive will take over whatever source you select, so if you set, say a G6 as the device for Redscape, you can't use the G6 as a normal sound device/without Redscape. It'll stay muted until you either select shared mode, or switch Redscape to another device.

In terms of sound latency, for comparison, Apt X low latency is over 40ms difference. Shared mode in Redscape is 25ms I believe. So less lag than even the low latency version if AptX.
 
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Jul 27, 2021 at 3:31 PM Post #47,103 of 48,566
If the 4XX is anything like the HE-400, there is a piece of metal instead that headband. You can bend the headband outwards a little to reduce clamp. Don't be afraid.
 
Jul 27, 2021 at 8:24 PM Post #47,104 of 48,566
Exclusive mode will have lower latency, so less sound lag, though I can't tell (it's only about 1 1/2 frame difference, which is essentially instantaneous), so I use Shared when I can. Exclusive will take over whatever source you select, so if you set, say a G6 as the device for Redscape, you can't use the G6 as a normal sound device/without Redscape. It'll stay muted until you either select shared mode, or switch Redscape to another device.

In terms of sound latency, for comparison, Apt X low latency is over 40ms difference. Shared mode in Redscape is 25ms I believe. So less lag than even the low latency version if AptX.

Cool! Thanks!
 
Jul 28, 2021 at 12:14 AM Post #47,105 of 48,566
@Mad Lust Envy or anyone that has insight hopefully you can help me with this decision. I am looking to get a open backed. I have narrowed it down to these 3 the K612 Pro or K701/702 or K7XX. I love playing competitively but also love music and will do some acoustic guitar recording. Which of these would be a good choice. I am leaning toward the K612.
 
Jul 28, 2021 at 2:07 AM Post #47,106 of 48,566
If the 4XX is anything like the HE-400, there is a piece of metal instead that headband. You can bend the headband outwards a little to reduce clamp. Don't be afraid.
yeah it's a thin metal ribbon/band that appears to be wrapped in genuine leather. I guess my only concern is over bending. Isn't it easier to bend it outward versus inward? for the sake of education. can you refer me to any good guides on remedying over bending?

Also, those plastic caps. Do they come off? What happens if one breaks? What is the point of having the nice metal if those plastic caps hold everything together?
 
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Jul 28, 2021 at 12:43 PM Post #47,107 of 48,566
yeah it's a thin metal ribbon/band that appears to be wrapped in genuine leather. I guess my only concern is over bending. Isn't it easier to bend it outward versus inward? for the sake of education. can you refer me to any good guides on remedying over bending?

Also, those plastic caps. Do they come off? What happens if one breaks? What is the point of having the nice metal if those plastic caps hold everything together?
If anything is resilient on those HFMs, it's the headband.

You can use a folded pillow to stretch it out overnight or so.

To bend it back for more clamp, just hold the headband and cross the cups.

The plastic puck piece is just a cover. It's not holding anything. The underlying piece is. I've had one of the pucks come off on the HE400. I used superglue and it never came off again.
 
Jul 29, 2021 at 6:59 AM Post #47,108 of 48,566
Sorry I meant to edit my last post, not double post.


Apparently there's a USB issue with the Fulla 4 and Hel 2 where some devices stop recognizing them. The Fulla 4 I reviewed did this very recently, though it still works on a family PC which was where I was going to use for in the first place. The PS5 will not pick it up.

The Hel 2 still works for everything, but the optical has some issues, which I was ensured will be fixed with a firmware update sooner than later.

My Jotunheim 2 has a balanced headphone jack issue where the left channel is fuzzy and distorted, and I have to send that in. Just happened yesterday.

I love Schiit, but the pandemic has made things rather hard on their end. I trust them to fix things, so I'll be patient.

For now, I'm on a Modius/Vali 2+ as my main gear.


Yes, the G6 in this instance will act as the UAC1 device. Then you can send the signal it to a better DAC through optical if you want.

I do this with my Modius which can't accept UAC1.

So PS5 - G6 - Modius (optical input) - amp

Just remember to turn off SBX as you only get stereo from PS5 usb.
When you disable the SBX the whole Surround/crystalizer/bass/smart vol/dialog are disabled then, correct?

Toying with it now, any other settings you can advice on? I wanted to put some form of a EQ in there for warzone footsteps. Anything else that could be helpfull? The phisical buttons on the G6 should all be not blinking, right?

Sadly after upgrading to the latest software, the EQ seems to be connected to the SBX. If I enable one, so does the other. So right now I have just put surround at 0 in SBX, and diabled the other sliders. That should hopefully not interfere with the sound too much.

Am I blind or does the EQ not work on optical out? (I only see an SPDIF-out Direct Mode).
Nevermind, it works. Seems like it detects whether there is an analogue or optical cable detected?

Still not sure the EQ works, but I think it does (no way to check when connected to PS5 I guess) but it sounds pretty good.

Edit: after playing a few games, I have a feeling it helps quite a bit. I can finally hear footsteps in this game with my Clear MG :)
 
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Jul 29, 2021 at 11:45 AM Post #47,109 of 48,566
Hi Friends,
Looking for guidance on the best way to take advantage of the g6 with a ps5 paired with two pairs of focal headphones (an original clear and a Celestee) for games and movies. This is in a home theater setup where the ps5 will be about 15-20 ft from the seats so cable length is a consideration.
My local dealer recommended a chord mojo for the dual headphone output so our first try was to connect the mojo to our receiver (a lexicon rv-9) through zone 2 and analog to digital converter with an optical cable. The sound quality was really poor through all connected devices (ps5, Apple TV, xbox). Comparing to a pair of inexpensive headphones plugged directly into the ps5 controller, the inexpensive headphones sounded much better than the focals for both games and movies/shows. This lead me down a rabbit hole and I found the sound blaster g6 as it was listed as a compatible dac with the ps5.
Since the g6 can’t power both focal headphones (my wife and I will have a new little one and a guest at the house so we’d like to both be able to listen at the same time without disturbing anyone) I’m curious if there’s a way to connect the mojo’s amplification to power the headphones while still taking advantage of the g6 ps5 audio compatibility? If so, what audio cables plugged in in what order would generate the best sound quality? As they say on the interwebs, explain like I’m 5 (or at least someone who doesn’t quite grasp all this audio jargon).

Thanks in advance for any advice!
 
Jul 29, 2021 at 11:58 AM Post #47,110 of 48,566
When you disable the SBX the whole Surround/crystalizer/bass/smart vol/dialog are disabled then, correct?

Toying with it now, any other settings you can advice on? I wanted to put some form of a EQ in there for warzone footsteps. Anything else that could be helpfull? The phisical buttons on the G6 should all be not blinking, right?

Sadly after upgrading to the latest software, the EQ seems to be connected to the SBX. If I enable one, so does the other. So right now I have just put surround at 0 in SBX, and diabled the other sliders. That should hopefully not interfere with the sound too much.

Am I blind or does the EQ not work on optical out? (I only see an SPDIF-out Direct Mode).
Nevermind, it works. Seems like it detects whether there is an analogue or optical cable detected?

Still not sure the EQ works, but I think it does (no way to check when connected to PS5 I guess) but it sounds pretty good.

Edit: after playing a few games, I have a feeling it helps quite a bit. I can finally hear footsteps in this game with my Clear MG :)

SBX is the entire suite of adjustable options under Acoustic Engine, not just the surround. So, EQ, Bass Boost, Crystalizer, Smart Volume, etc.

If Scout Mode is blinking on the G6, that means you're in Direct mode. That turns off all extra processing (i.e. all of the Acoustic Engine). Basically the cleanest path. But in direct mode, you can't even use a mic. That's just raw stereo.

And ys, I just turn on surround, and leave everything else off when I'm gaming. When I listen to music, I go to the playback, make the channel option to 2 channel/stereo, and turn on direct mode. When I game, I set it back to 7.1, disable direct mode, and turn on only surround. That's just me. I feel the G6 pops and makes noises if you try to listen to 2 channel sources while 7.1 is engaged, hence why I set it to stereo when not gaming/listening to a 5.1 or 7.1 source.





Hi Friends,
Looking for guidance on the best way to take advantage of the g6 with a ps5 paired with two pairs of focal headphones (an original clear and a Celestee) for games and movies. This is in a home theater setup where the ps5 will be about 15-20 ft from the seats so cable length is a consideration.
My local dealer recommended a chord mojo for the dual headphone output so our first try was to connect the mojo to our receiver (a lexicon rv-9) through zone 2 and analog to digital converter with an optical cable. The sound quality was really poor through all connected devices (ps5, Apple TV, xbox). Comparing to a pair of inexpensive headphones plugged directly into the ps5 controller, the inexpensive headphones sounded much better than the focals for both games and movies/shows. This lead me down a rabbit hole and I found the sound blaster g6 as it was listed as a compatible dac with the ps5.
Since the g6 can’t power both focal headphones (my wife and I will have a new little one and a guest at the house so we’d like to both be able to listen at the same time without disturbing anyone) I’m curious if there’s a way to connect the mojo’s amplification to power the headphones while still taking advantage of the g6 ps5 audio compatibility? If so, what audio cables plugged in in what order would generate the best sound quality? As they say on the interwebs, explain like I’m 5 (or at least someone who doesn’t quite grasp all this audio jargon).

Thanks in advance for any advice!
Hmm

On your display/TV: go to the audio options, and set optical out to bitstream/dolby digital (if it even has the option).

TV - optical out - G6 optical input - G6 - optical out - Chord Mojo optical input - your headphones.

You may want to upgrade firmware, update, change your software options on the G6 with a computer first.

So on your G6's software program on PC, I would advise to turn off every setting except the surround setting, which you can use for dolby digital content from your TV (like movies and games). When you don't wanna use that, you can just press the SBX button on the G6 itself to turn it off.

Hope that helps.
 
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Jul 29, 2021 at 2:04 PM Post #47,111 of 48,566
SBX is the entire suite of adjustable options under Acoustic Engine, not just the surround. So, EQ, Bass Boost, Crystalizer, Smart Volume, etc.

If Scout Mode is blinking on the G6, that means you're in Direct mode. That turns off all extra processing (i.e. all of the Acoustic Engine). Basically the cleanest path. But in direct mode, you can't even use a mic. That's just raw stereo.

And ys, I just turn on surround, and leave everything else off when I'm gaming. When I listen to music, I go to the playback, make the channel option to 2 channel/stereo, and turn on direct mode. When I game, I set it back to 7.1, disable direct mode, and turn on only surround. That's just me. I feel the G6 pops and makes noises if you try to listen to 2 channel sources while 7.1 is engaged, hence why I set it to stereo when not gaming/listening to a 5.1 or 7.1 source.






Hmm

On your display/TV: go to the audio options, and set optical out to bitstream/dolby digital (if it even has the option).

TV - optical out - G6 optical input - G6 - optical out - Chord Mojo optical input - your headphones.

You may want to upgrade firmware, update, change your software options on the G6 with a computer first.

So on your G6's software program on PC, I would advise to turn off every setting except the surround setting, which you can use for dolby digital content from your TV (like movies and games). When you don't wanna use that, you can just press the SBX button on the G6 itself to turn it off.

Hope that helps.
Thank you!!! One thing I should have called out - this is in a projector setup so my options for audio are to run through the receiver or I can connect the ps5 directly to the G6. Does this change anything with your recommendation?
 
Jul 29, 2021 at 2:41 PM Post #47,112 of 48,566
Thank you!!! One thing I should have called out - this is in a projector setup so my options for audio are to run through the receiver or I can connect the ps5 directly to the G6. Does this change anything with your recommendation?


You said the audio was bad on the receiver?


If so:

PS5 - USB - Creative G6 - Optical Out - Chord Mojo optical in.

Here I would leave the surround on G6 alone, since PS5 has 3D Audio option.

I would suggest you using the USB ports on the back of the PS5. Front ones are noisier, IMHO.
 
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Jul 29, 2021 at 2:43 PM Post #47,113 of 48,566
You said the audio was bad on the receiver?


If so:

PS5 - USB - Creative G6 - Optical Out - Chord Mojo optical in.

Here I would leave the surround on G6 alone, since PS5 has 3D Audio option.

I would suggest you using the USB ports on the back of the PS5. Front ones are noisier, IMHO.
I’ll give that a shot! Thank you so much for the quick reply!!
 

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