[themidsizelebowski]

Hello! I'd like to get the best possible audio quality when watching movies and playing my PS3/360/Wii, using a set of high-end headphones (need to keep the noise down, so must use headphones). I am INCREDIBLY ignorant on this subject, so please forgive me

[1] My first question is about setup...I need some serious help/clarification here before I buy anything. Right now, I just have a PS3 and an HD TV.
a) Headphones connect to -->
b) Headphone amp? Home theater system? (did I mention I was ignorant about this stuff?) connects to -->
c1) HDMI cable (or optical audio cable?) connects amp from step (b) to TV
c2) HDMI cable (or optical audio cable?) connects PS3 to amp from step (b)
c3) HDMI cable connects PS3 to TV

Is the above even close to correct?...please let me know what setup/set of connections would optimize sound quality! The PS3 has only 1 HDMI port, so using an HDMI cable for both step (c2) and (c3) would be impossible.

[2] Compatibility
I plan to purchase a high-end set of headphones, and high-end amp/system from step (b) above. Budget is not an obstacle at all--quality is everything.
Do I need to worry about compatibilty issues? I don't want to spend thousands of $ only to find out that I can't take full advantage of my headphones because I'm not using an HDMI connection somewhere, or the amp I bought doesn't sync well with the headphones I bought.

I would appreciate any recommendations on setup, particularly recommendations for step (b) above. Brand recommendations would also be appreciated, but for headphones, I plan to lean heavily on the "buyer's guide" sticky thread when making my purchase.

Current equipment notes:
My TV is a 1080p Samsung with every imaginable audio and video input.

 

[iriverdude]

oh dear you shouldn't have said cost no object. Especially with me around. First thing I'd do is get rid of your TV, Samsung aren't very good.

Anyway for best sound from Blu-Ray, you'll want to use HDMI out to a unit capable of decoding the new master HD formats. Oppo HDMI out to Anthem AVM 50 (it has a headphone amp) Or use onboard output to a quality headphone amplifier. Say Oppo 83 stereo out to a headphone amp. Your amp doesn't need HDMI or master audio decoding to listen to it, for example I'm using 5.1 RCA out from Oppo 83 to a Lexicon av-preamp with 5.1 bypass mode.

 

[rshuck]

I'd suggest you first consider your receiver. If you want a surround sound type experience with headphones, you should consider that a standard "high end" set of headphones are not best suited for this application as they were made with music in mind. If you want a high end set of traditional headphones, your receiver should support Dolby Headphone of some sort. There are other "surround sound" headphones out there, but I can't attest to their quality.

Next - your source equipment. The PS3, 360, and Wii are not spectacular sources, but they are the requirement for playing games. This may well be the weak spot in the system if money is no object.

Now, there are several choices for how you connect the headphones up. You can either buy a dedicated Headphone amp and a receiver with pre-amp outputs, or you can connect the headphones directly to the receiver. Direct to the receiver is generally thought of to be less than ideal.

Headphone suggestion - Ultrasone Edition 9 for this purpose

 

[n3rdling]

SVS system

 

[themidsizelebowski]

Thank you for the replies/recommendations!

The main purpose/goal of my post was to find helpful guidance to direct my research into what I need to buy.

On that note, for step (b) in the process I awkwardly outlined above, it sounds like the best option for sound quality is:
1) Headphone amp, which connects to -->
2) Audio Receiver, which would connect to -->
3) TV and PS3/360/Wii/Blu-ray player

Is this correct?

Also, a note on my audio "preferences": surround sound is not important to me. All I really care about is audio quality (although I am clearly not knowledgeable enough to be a true "audiophile," I'd still like to aim for the best possible setup).

 

[rshuck]

If you'll never be connecting or using speakers, you could get away with a nice preamp- X2 for he Anthem AVM 50, which would also negate the need for a dedicated headphone amp.

It would then be PS3, 360, Wii, Blu-Ray to the AVM 50's inputs, HDMI to your TV for output.

 

[iriverdude]

If you don't have speakers, don't buy a receiver. Either connect straight to the BD player (if you just have BD source) or buy av pre-amp. I'm not sure what new high end av processors have Dolby Headphone or mix DTS/DD master HD to stereo with some kind of headphone DSP. If you don't want any DSP any av pre-amp with onboard master decoding, or one with 5.1 RCA input but that'll have to downmix to stereo. But it's probably best just to use the stereo outputs from the BD player.

Also for BD and DVD really need to listen in surround sound.

 

[Stitch]

okay, im not very familair with video but here are my 2 cents:
Xbox HDMI-->TV, mute tv sound
Xbox optical/coax-->DAC-->AMP-->Headphones

Maybe its to easy thinking, so feel free to correct me

 

[Drubbing]

Quote:

Originally Posted by themidsizelebowski /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello! I'd like to get the best possible audio quality when watching movies and playing my PS3/360/Wii, using a set of high-end headphones (need to keep the noise down, so must use headphones). I am INCREDIBLY ignorant on this subject, so please forgive me

I think you may be massively overestimating what a headphone setup of any cost can do for getting high end sound from your usage and sources. Audio quality and gaming and movie usage, are largely mutually exclusive at this level.

No matter what you spend, you will always be limited by the quality of movies as a source, and even more so, the sound you can extract from games files and consoles - which again are poor sources.

As rshuck says, and I will offer my opinion - your source will most definitely compromise any of the money you spend, when you mentioned thousands $$$ coming into play here. It is not worth it. High end phones and their ancillary products are designed with music in mind.

Games files are not anywhere near as demanding, nor are expensive phones capable of extracting something from them - regarding positional audio for pinpointing enemies etc, - than the simplicity of these SFX is able to give.

IMO, I would pare down your expectations. A good set of phones around $2-300 is sufficient, and going high end is money spent which returns nothing extra.

 

[iriverdude]

I have to disagree with getting quality for PC gaming, although I'm not sure what area of high end are you talking about. My pc 5.1 audio rig is about £1500. If you don't think games have decent quality audio, you've probably not heard it on a good audio system. Although I certainly wouldn't go so far as say £10,000 5.1 system for the PC. Although if you're using it for movies and music may use it for gaming as well.

And the music for movies on Blu-Ray is higher quality than CD's. Each channel is non compressed audio. If you think movies isn't worth spending money for high end sound, then you're clearly mistaken.

 

[oqvist]

Iriverdude Samsung is really not that bad. It´s one of the top 3 manufacturers surely especially now that pioneer is out of the picture

Many receivers have dolby headphone. Yamaha have their own DSP silent cinema. They use it so that you can use all modes that you can enable for speakers. If you are purist and just want to go with the default decoding that doesn´t mean much though. I generally just run it with the stock settings when I am not using my presence speakers . You do want dolby headphone or similar one way or another so that is a big plus for AV receivers for console gaming (always geared towards 5.1 speakers though some have headphone settings) and movies.

If money is no subject why not run it along a dedicated headphone amp? I have bought phono-rca adapters to use my receiver as preamp to see if it´s really any better for movies/gaming then dolby headphone through my PC.
I don´t use my receiver for my headphones even for movies or games since my Keces DAC/Slee solo combination is a lot better (I get dolby headphone through power dvd then) and it doesn´t feel like the amplification is enough for my Pro 900 on the 663. Soundstage shrinks a quite a bit using it with those which I hope a dedicated headphone amp will help with as well.

Different amps make quite a difference as well. Heed Canamp was quite good but there is some more expensive amps that is supposed to have even larger soundstaging as well.

Otherwise in general for me the headphones I like the most for music is also the best for movies so it´s kind of easy to find a good allrounder that way. You want headphones with great dynamics and fast transient response that is somewhat like chameleons. So not to coloured headphones on their own pretty neutral with great mid range. Voices are super important for me both for music and movies.

If you are in a noisy environment it may be worth it going for closed. It make speech even easier to hear. More important for movies then music for me since many movies you really want it subtle rather then cranking up your speaker system to 112 to hear every little detail.

Otherwise I would really recommend since you miss some of the physical feedback you get with a speaker system to get a good transducer. But that requires a solid mount. I got some rattle in my chair now which makes my transducer only suitable for racing games which is always noisy or music where I tone it down quite a bit

.

As for soundstage except for picking the right headphone maybe look at the SVS virtualiser? I don´t know how well it works but it does get great reviews and will help you spend some of your unlimited budget as well

. Includes some Stax headphones as well I think? If I didn´t have my speaker system I would be tempted to try it surely

 

[Drubbing]

If you're talking about soundtracks, that's a different thing. But how many people really spend up big to hear games soundtracks sound great?

He said money no object right? and mentioned spending thousands. THe limitations of the game genre make it so not worth spending that big.

I focussed on gaming, but for movies, I still think spending huge on a headphone rig is poor value.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

Iriverdude Samsung is really not that bad. It´s one of the top 3 manufacturers surely especially now that pioneer is out of the picture

Had several Samsungs, yeah they're good value for money if they work right. The reason they're the top is not because they offer the best picture without high quality control.

As to audio, downmixing is bad, so you really shouldn't be listening to headphones for movies. Unless you're watching classic movies that were recorded in stereo. Headphones are stereo, movie sound tracks are discrete multi-channel tracks. It's the same reason why you shouldn't use a surround expansion for CD's. Why do Audiophiles suddenly backtrack this rule? If I watch a old mono movie, I listen to it in mono (center only)

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

He said money no object right? and mentioned spending thousands.

Doubt that, if he's got a Samsung.

£10K for av-preamp.

Lexicon MC-12B HD EQ - Available From Stone Audio UK Ltd

Might as well go for Lexicon BD (rebadged Oppo) $3500

Speakers? hmm M&K S-250? Subs couple of SVS PB-13 Ultras? Poweramps maybe 7 Bryston Monoblocs?

 

[lecky]

Have a look at the Smyth SVS Realiser thread. I've not tried that system, but it looks like it might be something worth considering for your needs.