[YJX94]

I agree. This is what I use for console gaming with my TH-900 mk2. Battlefield has never sounded more amazing!

I also suggest dropping gaming headsets (they're all crap) and buy some nice headphones, then get a cheap clip-on mic. Have the voices output to the optical, and you got yourself a gaming headset.

Definitely. I'm using a K712 Pro with a Mayflower ARC with no VSS or any of that stuff, just a simple stereo signal and the AKGs are godlike for gaming. I know EXACTLY where things are on the map based on just sound alone in games like BF1 and BO3 and sometimes get accused of wallhacking because I can hear exactly where people are around corners and their distance to me.

 

[MrB1989]

Legit headphones is something I will look into in the future. I like them because I like the convenience of them already having a mic. I have been really happy with the sound quality from my siberia v2/200, not so much for the G4me zeros.

What's a mayflower arc? I tried to find it but in a quick search, I couldn't find much.

 

[YJX94]

The Mayflower ARC is a dac/amp combo with a headphone + mic input as well as usb and optical inputs. It is a multiplatform gamers dream come true. Connect pc/console to the ARC via USB and connect a headphone + modmic/Vmoda boompro to the ARC and you have sound + chat.

 

[MrB1989]

So I could use that instead of the mixamp but won't have VSS. Looks like the only route to keep VSS would be to be the mixamp or get the X7. That's unfortunate.

 

[YJX94]

Yes it doesn't have VSS, it has a DSP button for a bass boost but no VSS. As I mentioned before, open back headphones with a wide soundstage and great imaging are on a completely different level that VSS can never touch.

The X7 and the others on that guide I linked are your best bet.

 

[MrB1989]

Maybe I will try open back headphones in the future however, after using the A40's and Turtle Beach HPX/A and then using my Siberia V2/200, I have a loyal love affair with closed back headphones. I am on my third pair of Siberia V2 (my first two had the common one ear cup not working) after about a year and a half - two years of dedicated usage. I know it doesn't sound like they last long but, there was a point in time in my life where I literally came home from work and gamed until 1 or 2 in the morning and then I would not have a life over the weekend because all I do was game...that was pre-parenthood though. I don't have the luxury of having the free time to game like that anymore lol

 

[YJX94]

Right now I'm a bit busy but I will do some research for you and get back to you after an hour. Stick around.

 

[YJX94]

Okay, I need to know a few things first before I can make any suggestions. I just need to ask some questions.

1. Do you NEED the mic to be a part of the headphone or can you get by with either a clip-on mic or a USB desktop mic?
2. Are you willing to pay to buy a gaming headset that is easier to drive and so will be fine running it through the mixamp?
3. How much are you willing to pay to improve your setup in this regard?

 

[MrB1989]

As of lately I haven't used the mic so it's not a big deal. In the future I can buy a different headset. So you can give recommendations on that.

 

[YJX94]

Okay, so you have 2 options.

1. Keep using the Sennheiser g4me zeroes and get the sound blaster x7 which will be powerful enough to drive them.

2. Since you said the mic is no big deal but you may need one in the future, get an easy to drive open/closed back headphone to use with the mixamp which is compatible with a vmoda boompro. This way you can use the normal headphone cable that it comes with plugged into the mixamp and when you need to talk in-game just switch the cable to the vmoda boompro and connect that to the mixamp. This means the headphone you get MUST have a detachable cable and it MUST be compatible with the vmoda boompro.


Open headphones, easy to drive, compatible with boompro:-

Philips SHP9500 - best bang for the buck headphones ever, easy as crap to drive, plug straight into mixamp and turn on VSS. When you need to talk swap the cable with the vmoda boompro and plug into mixamp.

Philips Fidelio X2 - absolutely awesome and super fun headphone, easy to drive, plug straight into mixamp and turn on VSS. When you need to talk swap the cable with the vmoda boompro and plug into mixamp.

Superlux HD668B - cheap as hell but don't let that fool you, these are absolutely amazing for the price and a steal. Stock pads are not comfy so you need to replace them with HM5 velour memory foam pads. Easy to drive so plug straight into mixamp and turn on VSS. If you want to use the vmoda boompro with these you will have to use a 3.5mm female to female adapter.

These 3 open back headphones already have incredible soundstage and imaging, when you plug them into the mixamp and turn the VSS on the soundstage will get even wider. Fidelio X2 is the best one here and also the most expensive.



Closed headphones, easy to drive, compatible with boompro:-

Audio-Technica ATH-MSR7 - surprisingly amazing soundstage and imaging for a closed back can. Easy to drive so plug right into mixamp and turn on VSS. Also compatible with boompro so just switch to that when you need to use it for chat.

Closed back headphones compatible with the vmoda boompro are very rare, ATH-MSR7 is the only one I'm going to recommend because it's the best for it's price.




This is really all I can think of and I don't really know what else to suggest, I'm out of ideas. These really are your best options. If you want open go with Fidelio X2, if closed then ATH-MSR7 then just get a vmoda boompro in the future when you need it. Open or closed, they will be absolutely amazing and you will get exactly what you want.

 

[MrB1989]

Ok so two more questions. Instead of having to unplug the headset and plug in a mix, couldn't I just get a blue snowball or something similar and have that plugged in directly to the Astro mixamp at all times? My understanding is if I double amp the Astro mixamp I have to use a RCA to 3.5mm cable to plug from the back of the second amp to the Astro mixamp so, if I add a y splitter prior to, that should work. Please correct me if I am wrong.

Second question. For the time being, if I buy a second amp for the Astro mixamp so that I can help power the g4me zeros, will it improve the sound quality? Does adding an amp improve the sound quality even if you use a low impedance headphone or no?

 

[YJX94]

For your first question I'm not so sure however a blue snowball can be plugged directly into a console's USB port and it will work as a mic, it works straight away on PS4 but I'm not so sure about the Xbox One.

For the second question, I've never seen it before but you may be able to plug an amp to the mixamp and yes amps still improve the sound quality of even low impedance headphones, impedance isn't the only thing that determines if a headphone is hard to drive or not, there's also sensitivity and efficiency.

 

[MrB1989]

ok so I found a way to hook up a second amp to the astro mixamp so I just bought the magni 3. I will be trying that with the sennheiser g4me zero and see what that's like. I will also try them with the astro a40 since they are open back and give that a whirl. maybe, just maybe it will convince me to go back to open back headphones.

 

[YJX94]

If you do end up going back to open back headphones then consider the ones that I recommended and also the HD 598, they are all easy to drive. If you keep the Magni 3 then there are better open backs out there for gaming that benefit a lot from an amp like the K712 Pro's that I have.

 

[MrB1989]

from what I gathered from looking through the headset/headphone guide, the best set is a toss up between the K701/702, K712 Pro, DT 990, and the Sennheiser 598.