[Mad Lust Envy]

We'll find out soon enough, as I have just placed an order for both the Modi and Magni. @_@

 

[calpis]

After about an hour fighting the skullcandy website I finally got in my order for a white pair of the slayers. Their website is god awful slow and their paypal checkout is beyond borked listing completely different items every time I clicked the paypal link, it was basically a lottery. Checked out on the actual site instead which took forever and it seems like it's been like this for almost a week now. Oh well.
 
@MLE 
What kind of finish is on the headphone? Is it that soft touch rubbereized plastic coating? I'm not terribly fond of that finish since it'll eventually peel and gets pretty nasty, kinda like my old logitech and razer mice.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Seems to be the good kind of plastic matte finish, like on the PC360. I don't see them having any issues.

If I were you, or anyone else getting the SLYR, I'd get a nice, longish 3.5mm male/male cable, like those on Amazon. The stock one is fairly short (though thick and durable), assuming you're not using the Mixer cable. Those of us with Mixamps have no need for the mixer.

However, I dunno of any cables you can buy with the mic channel built in.

 

[calpis]

Quote:

Seems to be the good kind of plastic matte finish, like on the PC360. I don't see them having any issues.
If I were you, or anyone else getting the SLYR, I'd get a nice, longish 3.5mm male/male cable, like those on Amazon. The stock one is fairly short (though thick and durable), assuming you're not using the Mixer cable. Those of us with Mixamps have no need for the mixer.
However, I dunno of any cables you can buy with the mic channel built in.

 
I think I remember seeing some at my local flea market. Don't know the actual length but it's either going to be 3 or 6ft and cheaply made.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Id just get a nice long one for when you're not using voice chat if you see the need for a longer cable, and cant get a good one with a mic channel. Im gonna check Amazon or Monoprice later when I get home.

 

[tmaxx123]

Quote:

Hey everyone.
 
I'm back in the world of headphones after selling most of my old stuff. I've been through an AD700, HD598, and HD558, all through a Mixamp. After listening to my crappy Logitech 2.0 speakers for the better part of a year, anything is an upgrade. At first, I tried to resist spending more than I deemed necessary ($100 lol). I bought a few pretty subpar headphones, to which my ears responded negatively. I went through a few PC headsets (Corsair 1500, Logitech G35), and they didn't cut the mustard, so I decided on skipping any 'universal' headsets.Now it's time to find a closed set of cans fit for gaming (pc, 360).
 
 
Fast forward a bit:
 
After some deliberation, I bought a Beyer DT770. It was well reviewed pretty much everywhere (including here), so I bought one. Initial impressions were good. After the AD700 and the HD598, I finally understood what bass was. The treble was a bit harsh, but not mind-melting. The mids were definitely recessed, but I could deal with that. After all, the main attraction is the 'subwoofer' Beyer somehow managed to fit in these things. They are really comfortable, isolate pretty well, and don't leak enormously.
 
However, for some reason, these cans just don't agree with me. I'm not alone in feeling this way about the 770s. See here for a post I made in the Headphones forum:
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/640876/closed-headphone-blues
 
Even listening to music, I couldn't take more than 20 minutes of using it. It wasn't the treble that was fatiguing. Something about them just required me to remove them to constantly take a break. I loved their directionality and soundstaging, but I just can't wear these for long without discomfort. Don't get me wrong: they are very comfortable (fluffy padding/clamp-wise), it's something about their signature that doesn't work for me. Why they don't work might have to do with the copious amounts of mind shattering bass, though I can't really pinpoint it.
 
So, I've decided another pair is in order. If anyone wants to take the DT770 off my hands, pm me. As much as I want them to, they don't agree with me
 
Any help with some recommendations? I really don't care for competitive gaming accuracy. While I will be doing some multiplayer (BF3 mainly), I don't care about bass obscuring footsteps. I want a fun pair of cans I've narrowed my decision down to three: Pro 900, A900x, or the D2000 (if I can find them). I'm also looking for a USB dac/amp to serve for portable use and as a standalone dac, as well as 'home/desktop' amp to power any phones I might get. I'm really eyeing the iBasso D4 and the Objective2 (or a Little Dot amp, still undecided). The Schiit Magni posted above looks kind a cool too.
 
I could not find a Mixamp for sale on the Astro site. Almost all ebay auctions included the AX0 headset, which I just plain did not want. I had to 'settle' for a usb Recon3d, since that's what I could find. Not a huge deal, but I'm looking for a Dolby Headphone capable device so I can A/B the two, and compare them for myself I can't stand any noise/hiss, so the DSS and the 720 box are probably out of the question. Looks like I'll have to wait it out for a good deal on a Mixamp. I game from my laptop, so I don't have the luxury of buying a PCI sound card  

I've got the mmx 300's (apparently they are re-badged dt770's) and noticed that weird feeling when listening to music with them too. Something about them, made it uncomfortable to listen for too long at higher volumes. I figured it was just because it was a gaming headset. But they REALLY mellowed out for me after a couple hours of play. They must have some sort of "break in" period, but they aren't nearly as harsh anymore. I love them now.
 
My ie8's still sound better OVERALL, because they are alot more "in your face" so to speak. They seem to play with more authority. They can hit all bass notes with high intensity. 
 
The mmx's on the other hand really hit some magically high notes that I have never heard before though. And they also have a select few songs where the bass frequency is in the 40-50z range, that they REALLY hit with ease. They seem to sound better every time I put them on.
 
For me, there is no other option. This IS the best out of box gaming/multimedia headset that I know of. I hear that the modmic's sometimes have compatibility issues with the mixamp, so i said screw it, and just got a headset that is plug and play. Something that is high quality that I won't have to ever worry about replacing or fiddling with.
 
But definitely get something you can be happy with, and don't settle, especially when it comes to audio. 

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

The problem I have with the DT770s is that it seals a bit too well, and gives me that cabin pressure like feel when on an airplane. This is one major reason why I don't personally care for closed headphones, especially ones that seal well.

The SLYR and A50s are both closed, but they don't have the best isolation, so I never get that head pressure like I did with the 770s.

The Pro 900s are a solid alternative to the 770s if you need a closed headphone that seals well and has plenty of fun. I just didn't care for it's treble.

I'm really not experienced with closed headphones/headsets in general as I tend to stay away from them almost as much as pleather padded headphones. The Pro 900 is probably my fave of the bunch though. Not counting the D7000 which IS my absolute fave, but rare now, and uber expensive.

The short time I had with the A900x, I was NOT impressed. Even less so with the K550.

edit: WHERE THE HELL ARE MY 3.5MM TO 1/4' ADAPTERS! UGH! I had 3 of them. One went back with the HE400, and my super old Astro one has terrible crosstalk. All that leaves is my Koss one... WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BLASTED THING? I need it to use my SA-31!

 

[tmaxx123]

The problem I have with the DT770s is that it seals a bit too well, and gives me that cabin pressure like feel when on an airplane. This is one major reason why I don't personally care for closed headphones, especially ones that seal well.
The SLYR and A50s are both closed, but they don't have the best isolation, so I never get that head pressure like I did with the 770s.
The Pro 900s are a solid alternative to the 770s if you need a closed headphone that seals well and has plenty of fun. I just didn't care for it's treble.
I'm really not experienced with closed headphones/headsets in general as I tend to stay away from them almost as much as pleather padded headphones. The Pro 900 is probably my fave of the bunch though. Not counting the D7000 which IS my absolute fave, but rare now, and uber expensive.
The short time I had with the A900x, I was NOT impressed. Even less so with the K550.
edit: WHERE THE HELL ARE MY 3.5MM TO 1/4' ADAPTERS! UGH! I had 3 of them. One went back with the HE400, and my super old Astro one has terrible crosstalk. All that leaves is my Koss one... WHERE ARE YOU, YOU BLASTED THING? I need it to use my SA-31!

Agreed, the pressure takes a bit getting used to. But I like the isolation. My house gets pretty loud due to having little ones running around and a puppy. Mmx300's put me in my own little world.

The headset really shines on some music, but is just ok on others. I'll keep updates coming.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

So it seems tomorrow I'll be getting something else from SC/Astro.

Stay tuned.

In other news, I guess it wasn't the Astro 3.5mm to 1/4" adapter that is messed up. The cable the SLYR is supplied with I guess doesn't like those adapters, probably due to the mic channel. My fault entirely. I hooked up the CAL's extension cable (thin enough to fit into the Slyr's housing) to a male/male 3.5mm cable I had left over from my first gen A40 bundle, and that to the 1/4" adapter. The Slyr is working just perfectly off my SA-31 now. So again, anyone getting a Slyr looking to hook it up to an amp with a 1/4" input will want a decent length standard 3.5mm male/male cable as well as a 1/4" adapter. Do NOT use the 3.5mm cable the SLYR is bundled with, with a 1/4" adapter, as it will just mix the channels together as far as I can tell (using the left/right Windows Sound Test, both channels are directly centered in my head, perhaps turning the Slyr into a Mono headset).

 

[burritoboy9984]

Just grabbed a xonar hdav1.3 card off of ebay and I'm going to build a little computer to try myears with it. I'll report back in the coming weeks how it compares to dolby headphone. Good news, if I don't like myears, the sound card supports dolby headphone out of the box.
 
-Erik

 

[Hailin]

Talking about the DT770, I am still on track for wanting a pair problem is this pressure you are chatting about. Is it XB700 bad? XB700 is on the list for me of headphones I just can't use due to there claustrophobic nature. I would look at the Pro900 but there is almost a $250 price difference between them in Canada. Also anything with pleather is out.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Well, I don't remember much about XB700 discomfort other than the mess of pleather, heat, and sweat on my skin. That and the stitching digging into my skin.

I find the DT770 very comfy. Just, it does have that closed headphone pressure. Even the M50s have that pressure, and I LOVE their comfort (post headband stretch).

edit:

[VIDEO]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqCcBo-gR5E[/VIDEO]

^Sounds so sweet on the SLYR. There are just some things the SLYR does hella right. Her vocals on the CAL are considerably pushed back in comparison. I never considered the CAL to be recessed in the vocals, but it sounds like it next to the SLYR. The overall tone on the CAL is warmer, and easier on the ears (as everything has like a relaxed tone to it, and pushed back), but the SLYR grabs your attention. The SLYR lacks refinement next to the CAL (it sounds super busy when all the instruments kick in, where the CAL spreads the instruments apart better), but I prefer the SLYR's signature for this song.

 

[Mad Lust Envy]

Just read Jude's entry on his Holiday Guide for the SLYR...

GAMING HEADSETS





While my avid gaming days have long since passed, I still enjoy giving my laptop's video card something to overheat about from time to time. Favoring first-person shooters, imaging is important; but as rusty as I am with games nowadays, it's mostly so that I know precisely from which direction death is raining down on me. (I also use the headsets for telephony and software speech recognition dictation.)



A few gaming headsets I've used that I feel comfortable recommending include:



Skullcandy SLYR

Closed, on-the-ear headset (around $80)

www.skullcandy.com



I almost considered putting the Skullcandy SLYR in the over-ear headphones section. For 80 bucks, it's a good closed headphone, period, and with the added functionality of a built-in stow-away microphone.



As has been covered before on Head-Fi, Skullcandy is getting very serious about sound. They've hired a lot of talent, and built their own labs, and have moved away from OEM to designing and engineering their own stuff. The SLYR is a product of those efforts, and a very good result.



The SLYR comes with a USB gaming sound mixer. To put it in non-gamer speak, this mixer is like a USB DAC (plus USB mic in) that also allows you to adjust audio settings, especially for mixing game audio and voice. It also comes with three different EQ settings. Because the mixer's cables are so long--and because I think the SLYR sounds better with music without the mixer (though the EQ is fun to experiment with while gaming)--I just plug the SLYR directly into my computer, or into one of my good USB DAC/amps, most of the time.



With or without the included mixer, the SLYR is very good for gaming. Its sound signature favors clarity over boom, though it still does a fine job of conveying sounds, impact, and effects of the death and destruction I usually find myself suffering from when I enter the gaming fray.



The thing is, when I'm done gaming--when I've plugged it directly into my computer or one of my good DAC/amps--I regularly forget to change the SLYR out for another headphone when I return to music. I'll say it again: this is actually a good $80 closed headphone. The SLYR's overall clarity is good. Its bass is well balanced, mids could use a bit more refinement and richness, and there's occasionally some mid-treble glare. Still, though, it's musical enough that I'll use it for an all-'round headphone on days I know I'll be Skyping a lot (its built-in stow-away boom microphone comes in handy). 80 bucks--a very good deal.

Coincidental that we have very similar opinions on the SLYR. I'll get in a few hours of CoD4 with the SLYR, and I literally have zero complaints. I mean, even though soundstage is small compared to what I'm used to, and there is better in terms of refinement and clarity, the SLYR is so inoffensive in it's sound, and engaging, I don't even think about those headphones I consider better than it. The SLYR is just a workhorse of a headphone with a signature that pleases on all fronts. I said it once, I prefer the SLYR's sound signature to the PC360. The PC360 has noticeably better depth, width, clarity, and balance, but lacks the raw energy and emotion of the Slyr. The PC360 is almost boring (which is sort of a good thing for what it's trying to accomplish), whereas the SLYR is always entertaining without glaring faults. It's NEVER boring.

 

[tml09]

Quote:

Agreed, the pressure takes a bit getting used to. But I like the isolation. My house gets pretty loud due to having little ones running around and a puppy. Mmx300's put me in my own little world.

The headset really shines on some music, but is just ok on others. I'll keep updates coming.

I must be so used to open headphones, then. The 770s seal really well, so that must be the reason for the discomfort. I've worn them on and off for about 2 hours every day for the past 4 days. I still can't say they're I've gotten used to them yet. I'll give them another week and see what happens. If it doesn't work out, then I'm probably going with the Pro 900 or A900x. 
 
MLE, was there any particular reason the A900x was unimpressive? A lot of the reviews I've read have commented on their good soundstage and overall balanced sound (with actual bass presence!), so I was thinking it would be a good candidate. For reference, I loved the AD700, but I need something closed with some more punch. The HD598s were certainly an upgrade, and they were amazing for competitive, but lacked in the 'fun' department (like the AD700). I really want to try the Q701, but I'm stuck with closed headphones for the time being. All I care about is [rebecca black] fun fun fun fun [/rebecca black].
 
As for ampage (for the time being) I'm probably going to buy an E17 for use as a DAC and portable amp, and wait to buy an O2 or Magni, pending reviews. I'm going to try and find a DSS or something, just so I can A/B the Recon3d with it. I think the 3d is fine, but I've got nothing to compare it to, save for my memories of the Mixamp. 

 

[lyrill]

Quote:

Okay a few replies.
 
I play mostly on the 360.
 
My Mixamp is old gen, and doesn't do voice chat for the PS3. I really only play first party or exclusives on the PS3.
 
Black Op's audio isn't nearly as good as CoD4 and MW2 (though I'm speaking in terms of directionality and audio cues....not overall quality, as MW2 has a pretty muddy SQ as a whole). And yes, I run Ninja Pro 99.99% of the time.
 
 
 
 
I plan on going a little more in depth with the good headphones, including their overall sound signature (warm/smooth, bright/aggressive, etc). This will happen sometime later, and I will let you guys know when it is done.
 
 
Like I mentioned before, to anyone wanting to try any pair of headphones for gaming, a good place to start is with headphones that have a good sized soundstage, and a more balanced sound. If the headphones are too colored, it just won't work well with online gaming. This is why I suggest having two pairs of headphones, one for online gaming, one for when you're enjoying a campaign, or just messing about. That is, unless you get something like the DT990 which pulls off both very well (however, remember the sizzling treble that may bother you).
 
Closed headphones CAN work well. My suspicions on certain headphones I haven't used that would probably be phenomenal for gaming:
 
D2000 (fun)
D5000 (fun)
Ultrasones with S-Logic on (fun)
K271 MKII (competitive)
 
Open:
 
Sony MDR-F1 (competitive)
HD800 (competitive)
K601 (competitive)
Beyer T1 (fun and competitive)
 
I distinctly remember people saying the HD600 and HD650 didn't have a very large soundstage in DH mode, so it wasn't as impressive. I can't be for certain.
 
Also have to note, that warm/smooth headphones are usually claustrophobic is DH mode, so they don't work well.
 
The brighter it is, the bigger the soundstage seems to be able to project further. Just my impressions.

how odd, every game devs start becoming edgy and trippy at the end of the world year. nobody sits down and make real music any more it seems. like i h eard that music presence is non existent in AC3. that is a solid no payment for me.