[EliteSpartan03]

MLE thanks for putting this guide together.  Helped me narrow down my choice and ended up with the Q701s, schitt amp, and astro 5.8 mixamp.  On the Xbox One I get great sound and actually the mixamp I bought from another user on here included the Astro A30's.  Tried them and compared to the AKG they sound severely lacking.  Never paid too much attention to sound quality in headphones before, but coming from the Turtle Beaches I used before these are a godsend. I'm currently using the xbox one as my main console but I do have a PS4 as well.  Literally none of my friends have a PS4 currently but it would be nice to have things it setup for it.  I can tell a huge difference in battlefield 4 already.  Would everything I have easily be adapted to use with the PS4? 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

For the PS4 and Mixamp 5.8, you'll need to buy this, assuming you don't have the ps3 chat cable for the Mixamp 5.8. You connect that from the Mixamp 5.8 controller input to the PS4 controller. Of course, that's if you use a mic.


Oh, about that, I made a huge MISTAKE when I said the Mixamp 5.8 doesn't come with the ps3 chat cable. IF you buy the Mixamp 5.8 alone, you don't get the cable, HOWEVER, if you buy the Mixamp 5.8 A30/A40 bundle, you DO get the cable. I had completely forgotten that I bought the 5.8 alone, and the A30 with the Mixamp Pro. I apologize for leading others into believe the bundle didn't come with it. I wasn't WRONG, in that the Mixamp 5.8 doesn't have it, but I thought it was the same for all cases.

 

[Evshrug]

I'll keep that cable in mind if my PS3 USB-3.5mm chat cable doesn't work in my system, seems like a much cheaper alternative. I thought we'd be able to use some cable like that.

 

[Evshrug]

Cool thing I discovered about the Recon3D USB today... Not only does it natively support PS4 (USB headset support, so you get game sound from optical and chat audio and mic through USB), but also it functions as a MIC amp...

So, I can plug in my unpowered lapel mic, and with a switch I can select low/medium/high gain. So, I can clip my mic to my shirt and know people can hear me, or I can turn it down if I'm not talking much, I can turn it all the way up and talk in a whisper and people will hear, and I can power unidirectional mics to cut down on fan or LAN noise.

Also, I got my Asus monitor in today, it's quite nice with noticeably lag free input and sharp, colorful output, with two HDMI inputs and a 3.5mm jack for speakers if I feel casual.

 

[Fegefeuer]

I want a Recon 3D with SBX. I just asked them via mail and facebook. EVERYBODY DO THE SAME.

 

[Napalmhardcore]

  I want a Recon 3D with SBX. I just asked them via mail and facebook. EVERYBODY DO THE SAME.

I'm quite interested to see the next generation of audio interfaces from everyone, whether it be Creative, Astro or Turtle Beach. Wonder when we can expect them.
 
Edit: 100th post! Someone high five me!

 

[conquerator2]

I'm quite interested to see the next generation of audio interfaces from everyone, whether it be Creative, Astro or Turtle Beach. Wonder when we can expect them.

Edit: 100th post! Someone high five me!

Teamwork! "high five"
Yeah!

 

[Napalmhardcore]

Teamwork! "high five"
Yeah!

Awesome! *Plays air guitar and stage dives... into the nearest hedge*

 

[benbenkr]

  I want a Recon 3D with SBX. I just asked them via mail and facebook. EVERYBODY DO THE SAME.

 
That dream was shattered when they released the Omni. How I wish the Omni was a replacement for the Recon3D.

 

[insidius]

Hey guys, long time lurker. 
 
After reading over 300+ pages of this thread, I've finally decided to just ask the experts here specifically about my situation, since I can't find all the answers I'm looking for on my own after days of research.  For reference, I am not an audiophile, but I am discerning about my sound. 
 
 
 
MY NEEDS:
 
-I have a PC and a PS4. 
-I want good quality sound for both, preferably with one set of cans. 
-I would like to be able to have the cans connected to both devices simultaneously so I won't have to constantly plug/unplug wires all the time (but I am not willing to sacrifice sound quality for this convenience if it causes a loss).
 
 
 
MY PLAN:
 
I've pretty much decided on the Fidelio X1's with the BoomPro mic and an Astro MixAmp 2013.
 
 
 
MY QUESTIONS:
 
-What would be a good sound card to pair with the X1's for use on the PC? 
-Should I also use the MixAmp on the PC (with the sound card), or is that overkill?
-Any other advice/comments about this setup?
 
 
Thanks guys. 

 

[martin vegas]

Cool thing I discovered about the Recon3D USB today... Not only does it natively support PS4 (USB headset support, so you get game sound from optical and chat audio and mic through USB), but also it functions as a MIC amp...

So, I can plug in my unpowered lapel mic, and with a switch I can select low/medium/high gain. So, I can clip my mic to my shirt and know people can hear me, or I can turn it down if I'm not talking much, I can turn it all the way up and talk in a whisper and people will hear, and I can power unidirectional mics to cut down on fan or LAN noise.

Any luck on the ps4 monitor? I need one pretty soon..don't want one that bleaches things out.. the LG monitor in the video looks good!

 

[Evshrug]

Two things:
1.) You really can't tell if a monitor is good or not by looking at it through the eyes of a camera, YouTube compression, and then your current model, except...
2.) that LG may have ghosting issues, at 0:07 seconds the camera swooshes around the player and it blurs during this fast action... but that could just be YouTube compression, can't tell.

I added info about the Asus in an edit to my last post. It worked beautifully last night plugged into my PS4, great color no ghosting issues, really very sharp and made 1080p look even better, it has a thin bezel which I like and think will be a boon in the future when I get a twin VESA mount.

 

[IBeBallin]

Hi guys. I decided to join this community to ask for expert advice. I bought the Sennheiser PC 350 SE to use with my PC and gaming consoles. For the PC I have the ASUS Maximus V Formula motherboard which has SupremeFX IV dedicated audio. Specs follow:
 
SupremeFX IV, built-in 7.1 Channel High Definition
Audo CODEC
 
High fidelity headphone amplifier
Texas Instruments (120dB SNR, -117dB THD+N at VCC+-12V,
RL=600 Ω, f=1KHz)
 
SupremeFX Shielding™ Technology
 
ELNA Premium Audio Capacitors:
1500 uF Audio Power Capacitor
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 110dB
Output THD+N at 1KHz: 95dB
Supports jack-detection, multi-streaming, front panel jack-retasking
Blu-ray audio layer content protection
Optical S/PDIF input and output ports at back panel
 
Audio Features:
DTS Ultra PC II
DTS Connect
 
I am very happy with how the headsets sound. At 25% volume, the bass was strong and the rest of the audio was nice. I tested with some music and with Battlefield 4 audio. Amazing I had no idea Battlefield could be that much better. Now here is where the problem starts:
 
I could get the ThunderFX
 
Performance and Chipset:
Output Signal-to-Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 114dB
Digital-to-Analog Converter: 120dB SNR, 107dB THD+N (Max. 192kHz/ 24-bit)
C-Media 6631 audio processor (Max. 192kHz/ 24bit)
Built-in high fidelity headphone amplifier
Up to 300 ohms headphone impedance support
Special Features:
Multi-platform Support: PC, Xbox 360, PS3
Master/ voice/ game volume control independently (PS3, Xbox 360)
Built-in ENC (Environmental Noise Cancellation) Technology
GamEQ: 3 preset EQ profiles with graphical audio effect tuning hints
Xear™ Surround Headphone
Xear™ SingFX
FlexBass™, Smart Volume Normalize™
DS3D GX 1.0, OpenAL
I/O Ports:
2x RCA audio input
1x USB 2.0 connector
1x 3.5mm headphone jack
1x 3.5mm microphone jack
1x 2.5mm microphone jack for Xbox 360 voice input
Dimensions:
191 x 137.5 x 37mm (LxWxH)
 
BUT, the only way to get one would be to call a supervisor at ASUS and MAYBE they will give me one, since it is not sold separately (it's price should be around 100$). OR, I can buy something else, DSS, MixAmp or something else. I am not looking at spending a fortune, max 150$ and it needs to be compatible with both Xbox 360 and PS3 chat and audio (Xbox One and ps4 would be a bonus).
 
So what to get? From what I've seen, Mixamp pro 2013 sucks for the mic volume (unless they fixed that with a firmware update), Mixamp pro 2011 is very hard to find in Canada, and I do not want the wireless one. DSS VS DSS2  VS MixAmp I have no idea of the difference.
 
Suggestions? 

 

[Evshrug]

Well IBB,
I don't know much beyond basics about computer audio... Is that Thunder FX part of a motherboard, or is an add-on (normally bundled with something else)?

Anyway, the motherboard you have is basically equivalent to the audio quality of a Mixamp, except it doesn't have processing for headphone surround.

The best console + PC audio processor/soundcard I've found so far is Creative's Recon3D USB. It can actually decode surround audio from consoles, and make headphone surround for that, while also being an "external soundcard" when connected to a PC via USB.

My gigabyte motherboard is able to power USB even while I have the PC shutdown, so I could just leave it plugged into console and PC at the same time and switch inputs with a side switch. Sometimes I needed to "reboot" the Recon3D though.

Supports PS3 & PS4 chat through USB too, though you can also plug controller chat audio into the Recon3D's extension cable (Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4).

 

[IBeBallin]

Well I can't upload images or post links..... ThunderFX is an external audio card/amplifier and you can connect the xbox 360 and ps3 to it as well.
 

ThunderFX

Versatile Gaming Audio for PC&Consoles
The ThunderFX gives gamers more than just another PC soundcard; this versatile device provides premium gaming audio and connectivity for your favorite PC headphones on any PC, laptop or console. Get a competitive advantage from Environmental Noise Cancellation (ENC) technology and GamEQ sound profiles with clear visual identifiers, while the 300 ohm headphone amplification and premium Nichicon FG Series capacitors for pure, powerful audio. The ThunderFX is a supreme sound accessory that your console gaming, LAN gaming and entertainment enjoyment requires.