[LifeBerry]

Hi everyone.

So I read a lot of discussions on this forum and I see that the AD700 was recommended for good gaming audio. So I bought some.

I have a X-FI titanium sound card and I play CSS on a competitive level. The sound is very rich and wonderful, but there is only 1 cord. Am I better off getting headphones that are actually 5.1 "surround sound"?

I don't quite understand, how can these give accurate positional audio if they truly are not surround sound headphones? They are clear and comfy, but it is hard for me to locate people based on footsteps. I will hear a flurry of footsteps and I won't know where he is!

Help?

 

[1Time]

Welcome.

What headphones and sound card are other CSS competitors using?

Why risk using headphones and a sound card that successful competitors are not using?

You could try searching (google) "CSS gaming headphones".

Most Head-Fiers who buy the AD700 don't buy specifically to game CSS. Rather, it's a popular choice for music and gaming, a compromise.

 

[LifeBerry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Welcome. What headphones and sound card are other CSS competitors using? Why risk using headphones and a sound card that successful competitors are not using? You could try searching (google) "CSS gaming headphones". Most Head-Fiers who buy the AD700 don't buy specifically to game CSS. Rather, it's a popular choice for music and gaming, a compromise.

I don't care about music, I already have a solution for that. These headphones are purely for gaming. Alot of CSS people use Razer barracudas, Steelseries 5Hv2, Sennheiser 555, 595, etc. My sound card is a popular choice.

I want the best positional audio, that is all. Like, crisp, beautiful sound is great, but if I can't tell where the people are based on sound then they are useless for gaming.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LifeBerry /img/forum/go_quote.gif Like, crisp, beautiful sound is great, but if I can't tell where the people are based on sound then they are useless for gaming.

You've got that right. Either you're playing to win, or you're also playing to listen subjectively to how the headphones sound. I wouldn't be surprised if some top level CSS players used some cheap $15 headphones. You're choice seems to be to try different rigs to see what works best for you, or find out what the winners are using and take a chance that also will work better for you. I wouldn't place too much value in opinions from gamers who post something like, "I use X headphones and Y sound card, and it's great!" Oh really. And how great a CSS player are you?

 

[div]

Those "pros" just wear what their sponsor gives to them ... thats all - I could play very fine with a pair of in-ear phones cs back in time without having trouble to locate the position of someone. You dont need to know at all that the person is exactly 42.51° behind you

 

[LifeBerry]

So. From you experts, have you guys reached a conclusion on what the "god" of positional headphones is?

 

[LifeBerry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by div /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those "pros" just wear what their sponsor gives to them ... thats all - I could play very fine with a pair of in-ear phones cs back in time without having trouble to locate the position of someone. You dont need to know at all that the person is exactly 42.51° behind you

yeah, but don't you think it'd be nice to have a person coming to your left making a sound out of your left headphone?

>.<

Right now I hear footsteps and I can't even do that. Maybe a setting is wrong? Just sounds jumbled.

 

[genclaymore]

I would suggest some AD700's and use your sound card CMSS-3D. I used to own AD700 and they did very well for postional sound. Tho you might have to use the rubber band mod if they're too loose for your head.

There are open back so people around you will hear what your hearing.But that alloud for a wide sound stage.

But I dont recommand any 5.1 headphones, they all have one con and another as I used to use 5.1 headphones all the time and many diffent ones.But if you must have 5.1 headphones then I will suggest Turtle beach HPA2, which was the only ones I actualy liked. But i still suggestion the AD700 and CMSS3D headphone or 2.1 using CMSS3D after configing THX.ini for 90 for the speaker directions in the file that if your using a X-Fi .

 

[brn80]

It's possible it's some settings, but for FPS gaming I never liked my AD900s compared to the DT770/80s I had at the same time. They're nice for maybe playing a stand-alone game or an MMORPG but for a FPS, you really would want a closed back headphone with a V shaped frequency response curve imo, i.e. emphasis on highs and lows. The highs is what will help you discern footsteps or aural cues. I had an X-fi as well.

Depending on your price range, there are a few options. Assuming you'd want to stay in the ballpark of $100, the M-Audio Q40 and Audio-Technica M50 comes to mind. The DT770/80s I mentioned prior are quite good too, but you may need an amp for them to sound their best. However, since you will be using them mostly for gaming and already have the AD700, it might suffice as is till (if) you upgrade later on. This can be had for $99 for a refurbished one from Beyers ebay store. The other nice thing about the DT770s are they are built like tanks and are nice and isolating--great if you want to LAN. The other brand of headphone that fits this profile are most cans from Ultrasone.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LifeBerry /img/forum/go_quote.gif So. From you experts, have you guys reached a conclusion on what the "god" of positional headphones is?

Sure, the headphones and associated equipment that works best for you for CSS.

 

[1Time]

Quote:

Originally Posted by div /img/forum/go_quote.gif Those "pros" just wear what their sponsor gives to them ... thats all - I could play very fine with a pair of in-ear phones cs back in time without having trouble to locate the position of someone. You dont need to know at all that the person is exactly 42.51° behind you

Apparently the OP is having a problem gaming CSS with this AD700. Are you suggesting the OP use the headphones used by the pros? Or, are you suggesting that different headphones wouldn't help the OP play CSS better?

 

[genclaymore]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brn80 /img/forum/go_quote.gif It's possible it's some settings, but for FPS gaming I never liked my AD900s compared to the DT770/80s I had at the same time. They're nice for maybe playing a stand-alone game or an MMORPG but for a FPS, you really would want a closed back headphone with a V shaped frequency response curve imo, i.e. emphasis on highs and lows. The highs is what will help you discern footsteps or aural cues. I had an X-fi as well. Depending on your price range, there are a few options. Assuming you'd want to stay in the ballpark of $100, the M-Audio Q40 and Audio-Technica M50 comes to mind. The DT770/80s I mentioned prior are quite good too, but you may need an amp for them to sound their best. However, since you will be using them mostly for gaming and already have the AD700, it might suffice as is till (if) you upgrade later on. This can be had for $99 for a refurbished one from Beyers ebay store. The other nice thing about the DT770s are they are built like tanks and are nice and isolating--great if you want to LAN. The other brand of headphone that fits this profile are most cans from Ultrasone.

When I had a prelude and THX control panel instaler I used these settings that worked the best for me with the AD700, was the 2.1 speaker setting using CMSS3d as the 2.1 one didnt mess up the AD700 sound stage. Then I edited the THX.ini for 90 degrees speaker direction.


Lifeberry I seen some Ultrasone HFI-550's for 80-90 on amazon there closed back and would be another option.

 

[yepyep_]

Quote:

Originally Posted by brn80 /img/forum/go_quote.gif for FPS gaming I never liked my AD900s

x2.

 

[div]

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1Time /img/forum/go_quote.gif Apparently the OP is having a problem gaming CSS with this AD700. Are you suggesting the OP use the headphones used by the pros? Or, are you suggesting that different headphones wouldn't help the OP play CSS better?

My post is kinda referring to the fact that an average phone will do the same job as one of those overpriced 5.1 sets which sound crappy...

Just because of the fact that you will hear where your enemy exactly comes from wont make your gameplay that much better - especially not in cs. If you hear somebody from the back or different kind of surfaces you can kinda guess where exactly he has to stand - In fact cs has a lot of corners and if the enemy is somewhere near you you will be able to recognize him ... I used to play that game for nearly 6 years and am pretty much experienced ... and it's not about the headphones ... I just had some better sound when listening to headphones with average highs as the footsteps get clearer and not muddy as in a lot of cheap headphones.

 

[LifeBerry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by div /img/forum/go_quote.gif My post is kinda referring to the fact that an average phone will do the same job as one of those overpriced 5.1 sets which sound crappy... Just because of the fact that you will hear where your enemy exactly comes from wont make your gameplay that much better - especially not in cs. If you hear somebody from the back or different kind of surfaces you can kinda guess where exactly he has to stand - In fact cs has a lot of corners and if the enemy is somewhere near you you will be able to recognize him ... I used to play that game for nearly 6 years and am pretty much experienced ... and it's not about the headphones ... I just had some better sound when listening to headphones with average highs as the footsteps get clearer and not muddy as in a lot of cheap headphones.

sure thing, but if you hear footsteps in your right and left and you have no idea where he is coming from, what are you to do? i wanna haer someone coming from the left in my left earphone. If he is above me, i should kind of hear something above me