All attempts have failed on my end, I don't have any TRRS plugs on hand so I might have to order a TB cable for it to test chat. So far the PS3/PS4 chat cable does not work at all. When I plug it into the mix-amp, it auto mutes everyone and no one can hear me and I can't hear them. I still have audio from the PS4 itself but chat is muted. Same goes for the PS3.
I have the PS4 set-up to optical out > Dolby Digital 5.1 > output to headphones - chat > mute camera mic. I get no chat audio at all. It's a shame the PS3/PS4 chat cable is defective though...
I haven't gotten to test that cable yet, but IDK if it's defective. I asked an Astro rep if it would be compatible with a PS4, he said yes but he could've been trying to get me to stop asking things (my A30 was DOA, and when I sent it in for repairs my registration and account with Astro disappeared, so a question about the chat cable was just icing on a ****cake). You're plugging the USB into the PS4, and analogue end into the Tx base station, right? I'm not sure what the "right" answer is, but I can look up the instructions if you like.
I'm thinking of getting one, or perhaps a SR850.
Questions: 1. what exactly do you mean by bright? Do you just mean weighted towards treble, or do you mean it makes violins sound like screeching cats?
2. these headphones are only 56 ohm, can a console drive these or will I need an amp?
Consoles don't have amps built-in, just digital and line-out audio. You'd need something like a Mixamp or DSS to have volume control and a suitable headphone jack, though they also process the headphone surround that does a LOT for immersion (which you heard in the Bioshock vid).
By bright he means treble-weighted and violins might sound fatiguing. Screechiness can come from two things: unrefined headphone that has poor control of treble reproduction (I've heard even dark headphones with this problem), or the amp doesn't have a good "grip" on supplying enough current to meet the demand of the headphone driver.
You asked earlier if amps matter to sonic quality, or if they're just for "enough volume." Some headphones require more voltage to be loud enough, but all drivers benefit from having enough current to articulate complex passages or powerful bass sections. Some headphones scale more than others, and IMO should be the first consideration, but an appropriate amp is part of a complete system.
A Q701 (62 ohm headphone) actually sounds loud enough right off of a Turtle Beach DSS ($30 like new on eBay). And decently wonderful too. But the bass will never quite sound "big" and the treble may distort, causing a sharpness that can get fatiguing after a half hour (ymmv, but I used to play violin too, like... 15 years ago, but I loved it). Add a good neutral-but-capable amp you'll still hear the character of the headphone, but notes flow from the drivers easily. You've heard it on string instruments; if a performer has a firm movement of the now it sounds great, but a novice playing weakly with little control will screech a stradivarius like a dying cat.
IMO, you ought to start out with a Koss KCS75 or Superlux (haven't heard Superlux myself, skipped to an AD700), a DSS (first version), and a portable amp like a FiiO E11.
Tbc, lunch break is over