[lyons238]

Alright, so I'm a bit of an audiophile and on the hunt for a PS3 gaming headset. I'm looking for opinions from an audiophile that is also a gamer. For some reason gamers tend to just like a set of headphones for all of the features and not actually know much about the sound. I produce music and own a pair of Ultrasone Pro 900's that I absolutely love. But I'm looking for a headset or a way to use my Ultrasone's mainly to play COD and other games and movies. I'm currently looking at these Sharkoon headphones http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sharkoon-X-Tatic-True-5.1-Dolby-Digital-Surround-Sound-Gaming-Headset-PS2-PS3-Xbox-360/15711237. But, I have a few concerns...
 
1. Is the true 5.1 surround sound necessary for hearing realistic placement of footprints and such? Or is it over engineering? It seems like having 4 drivers in each ear is a bit counter intuitive, since they would still have to be designed with psychoacoustics in mind due all the drivers being located right by the ear.
 
2. How are these 5.1 surround gaming headsets sound quality wise? Frequency response? Realistic soundstage? 
 
3. Is there a way that I can hook up my Ultrasone Pro 900's to my PS3 with an amp? And if so would this be worth it over a nice gaming headset?
 
4. How could I setup a mic if I did decide to use the Ultrasone Pro 900's? Is there a way to get a SnowBall working with the PS3?
 
I'm hoping someone knowledgeable can help me out in this situation. If someone could let me know if it would be best to just stick with a gaming headset or try to rig up my Ultrasone's that would be great. Thanks. 

 

[mpawluk91]

Dude get the pulse elite edition for 150$ at Walmart, it's got a hidden mic, multiple modes like game, music stuff like that, but best of all is the bass impact DAMN u should get em. Also the have a jack for a removable cord (3.5mm) and an internal rechargeable battery. To use the bass impact you need to have a charge but if they die you can still use them passively. They're wireless with ps3 but if you use them for you ipod u need the cord. DAMN FINE SOUNDING CANS I mean it

 

[mpawluk91]

Oh yeah they're stereo sound but they have a virtual surround sound option but I think the stereo is better, the vss just kinda mixes it different and spreads the sound to where it THINKS it should be in 7.1

 

[lyons238]

i ended up getting the astro a40's. i figured if im going to spend $150 i might as well spend $250 on some top of the line ****.

 

[mpawluk91]

Meh I've had the Astros and to be honest the Sonys are nicer minus the actual surround, but stereo is also somewhat directional sound so if ur just playin fps games and stuff it would be a better deal

 

[lyons238]

Quote:

Meh I've had the Astros and to be honest the Sonys are nicer minus the actual surround, but stereo is also somewhat directional sound so if ur just playin fps games and stuff it would be a better deal

 
the sonys looked kinda bulky and heavy and i've heard the surround leaves them sounding thin. but idk i quite like the astros...cant comment too much on the sound quality just yet or the long term comfort. but they're pretty damn light and seem to be quality. the sound seems to be top notch for gaming. i still obviously prefer my ultrasones for music and producing. 

 

[mpawluk91]

I have the pulses and they're about the same weight as the Astros but the thing about the pulse is what the actual pulse does. You really would have to hear them to see dude it's AMAZING you can actually feel the impact from just shooting a pistol. Something so insignificant like that is totally transformed into a blast. Overall battlefield 3 to me will never feel the same without them

 

[lyons238]

Quote:

I have the pulses and they're about the same weight as the Astros but the thing about the pulse is what the actual pulse does. You really would have to hear them to see dude it's AMAZING you can actually feel the impact from just shooting a pistol. Something so insignificant like that is totally transformed into a blast. Overall battlefield 3 to me will never feel the same without them

that does seem pretty amazing. i was looking into those phones highly before the astros. what turned me away so much was how weak the sonys sounded in surround mode. if theyre going to advertise surround they should at least have them perform well. that was the deal breaker for me. 
 
i could always return these astros, but i dont think i will. 

 

[mpawluk91]

Yeah I don't like the surround but back to ur question about multiple drivers per ear, I had the tritton pro plus true 5.1 and they simply sucked ass there was no bass at all and there was a computer like sound with echoes. Astros are way better but I would try at least try the pulses just to see how that concept will reflect on future headphones. I know that design will take off one day and be in every gaming phones. But for music it is gnarly. Does kick drums and breakdowns justice

 

[lyons238]

Quote:

Yeah I don't like the surround but back to ur question about multiple drivers per ear, I had the tritton pro plus true 5.1 and they simply sucked ass there was no bass at all and there was a computer like sound with echoes. Astros are way better but I would try at least try the pulses just to see how that concept will reflect on future headphones. I know that design will take off one day and be in every gaming phones. But for music it is gnarly. Does kick drums and breakdowns justice

 
so im assuming the astros have multiple drivers in each can? i didnt really even look into them that much i kind of just pulled the trigger after a good friend told me about them and after reading reviews. they do seem to have a big fanboy attention going but do seem to have the quality to back it up.
 
they sound pretty good listening to music but nothing spectacular. they sound tons better when in game. also they sound tons better when using the mix amp versus just plugging them directly into my iphone. but again, i didnt get these cans for listening to music, i have my ultrasones for that. i want these strictly for gaming or perhaps a movie when late at night...and i think they are exellent for that, so far. i cant imagine the sonys having better quality, considering these astros are supposed to be better quality than like top of the line turtle beaches and such, but i guess i wont know until i try them. 

 

[mpawluk91]

No the Astros have one driver per ear but the mix amp allows you to hear somewhat true 7.1 idk how it makes 7.1 through 2 drivers. It's called psycho acoustics, and yeah the Astros are prolly clearer than the Sonys but the pulse gives a different take on immersion

 

[chewy4]

Companies need to stop advertising "true" 7.1/5.1 for headphones. If that existed, it wouldn't make any sense and it would be terrible. Advertising it like that just makes things confusing for the consumer.
 
The best surround similation can be done with 2 drivers. Like you said they're right next to your ears so adding more isn't going to make much of a difference. It's all in the crossfeed techniques.

 

[Zubaru]

it's not actually real surround sound, its just stereo with built in virtual surround sound, and it actually works great.
 

 

[mpawluk91]

Yeah zubaru is right it's not real surround but it sure sounds like it. I had the tritton pro plus which actually did have 4 drivers per ear. The sound direction was spot on but the bass was weak and the sound lacked power. The Sony pulse has an even different technique call virtual surround sound but it doesn't work the best. Anymore I just stick with stereo sound, it's still directional and has a ton of kick for cheap

 

[Zubaru]

i had a steelseries 4-h they just called it a stereo, but with the virtual surround sound from my creative x-hifi gaming sound card it sounded great, could hear where everything was, it would work with all stereo headsets!