[schoolslave]

Hi all,
 
I am looking for some advice on what would provide the best gamin experience (PC).
Currently I game with: Siberia V2 + Titanium soundcard.
 
I am quite content with the sound so far, yet I feel that the bass is a little lacking with the Siberia V2.
 
I am looking to upgrade to the Sony XB500 headphones. Also, I am wondering if there would be any benefit to switching to either a Xonar DX or a Xonar Essence STX soundcard. (I've heard that the Dolby Headphone Surround is superior to Creative's implementation).
 
My main concern is, would the Sony XB500's severely distort the mids/highs?
I am only interested in using these for gaming; one of the main reasons I am considering the XB500s is for the comfort and the price tag.

 

[Amperial]

What a contradiction.
You need soundstage for gaming.
 
CMSS3D is better for gaming. Stay with your Titanium.
However.. the STX would be worth getting having high ohm headphones due to the amp. Generally it's better for music.

 

[schoolslave]

What about the Siberia V2 vs Sony XB500 for more bass?
 
Can the EQ be tweaked enough so that the mid/highs are still "distinct"?
 

 

[Amperial]

Quote:

What about the Siberia V2 vs Sony XB500 for more bass?
 
Can the EQ be tweaked enough so that the mid/highs are still "distinct"?
 

 
They can. But it won't replace the lack of soundstage.
Instead of the Siberia (had it myself) you had to buy the PC 360. Like the best gaming headset you can get.
 
Using the PC 360 with your Titanium CMSS 3D is a nice combo

 

[schoolslave]

Im not really a fan of Sennheiser's, Ive used my brother's HD 598 and to me they sound too "thin", if that makes any sense.
 
Would the Sony Xb500 be an upgrade or a downgrade from the Siberia V2?
 

 

[Roller]

For gaming, you are better served with Creative cards. If you do want to upgrade from your current Titanium, you can get a Titanium HD, with higher quality DAC and components, providing an overall better sound quality from what you have, and due to the high quality components used, it's great for music and movies as well. Also, the Essence STX is not better for music than the Titanium HD, they're on the same level, with the Titanium HD having a better DAC chip and full gaming audio support. It's important to note that the Essence STX headphone amp doesn't make it a better card, especially for the headphones discussed on the thread.
 
If you can stretch your budget further, you would be able to get more detailed headphones with both quantity and quality bass, such as the Ultrasone HFI-580.

 

[Amperial]

Quote:

Im not really a fan of Sennheiser's, Ive used my brother's HD 598 and to me they sound too "thin", if that makes any sense.
 
Would the Sony Xb500 be an upgrade or a downgrade from the Siberia V2?
 

 
Bass wise the XB500s are king of the headphones.
Equalizing works wonders on them. You can tweak the highs quite easily.
 
Still i don't get your point as you say you need headphones for gaming. I know the Sennheisers do not have the bass impact.
 
So what do you need exactly? Soundstage or a huge bass impact?
The reason why i suggested the Sennheisers is because you can locate enemies footsteps easier and you'll be able to hear out stuff. It has the soundstage to do so. The CMSS 3D works great with it.
 
Having super bass headphones for gaming kinda contradicts it.

 

[Roller]

Quote:

 
Bass wise the XB500s are king of the headphones.
Equalizing works wonders on them. You can tweak the highs quite easily.
 
Still i don't get your point as you say you need headphones for gaming. I know the Sennheisers do not have the bass impact.
 
So what do you need exactly? Soundstage or a huge bass impact?
The reason why i suggested the Sennheisers is because you can locate enemies footsteps easier and you'll be able to hear out stuff. It has the soundstage to do so. The CMSS 3D works great with it.
 
Having super bass headphones for gaming kinda contradicts it.

 
XB500 have plenty of bass quantity, quality is an entirely different matter.
 
schoolslave, what sort of gaming do you do, immersive or competitive gaming?

 

[Amperial]

Quote:

 
XB500 have plenty of bass quantity, quality is an entirely different matter.
 
schoolslave, what sort of gaming do you do, immersive or competitive gaming?

 
Had to mention quantity. Ye, quality is a different story.

 

[schoolslave]

Occasionally some "competitive" FPS (BF3, CoD4, etc), but mostly single player games like Skyrim, FC3, Sleeping Dogs, etc.
 
To me, the Sennheiser 598 just sounded too "thin", as in everything was clear, but almost too clean, to me the sound lacked "definition", if that makes any sense.
 
The Siberia V2s are much better I think, but to me they also lack "definition".

 

[Amperial]

Quote:

Occasionally some "competitive" FPS (BF3, CoD4, etc), but mostly single player games like Skyrim, FC3, Sleeping Dogs, etc.
 
To me, the Sennheiser 598 just sounded too "thin", as in everything was clear, but almost too clean, to me the sound lacked "definition", if that makes any sense.
 
The Siberia V2s are much better I think, but to me they also lack "definition".

Definition in terms of details?
 
Well the Ultrasone 580s Roller suggested have clarity highs and really well controlled bass.
It's mid bass (punchy) not a sub bass (rumble) can.

 

[Roller]

Given that you mainly do gaming, I'd advise on skipping getting a new soundcard, instead get the Ultrasone HFI-580 and a portable amp like a PA2V2. That, along with your current soundcard, will provide a very engaging gaming setup.
 
The HFI-580 has much more clarity than either the XB500 and the Siberia V2 (not bad for the price), along with having impactful sound, as per usual Ultrasone house sound

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Occasionally some "competitive" FPS (BF3, CoD4, etc), but mostly single player games like Skyrim, FC3, Sleeping Dogs, etc.
To me, the Sennheiser 598 just sounded too "thin", as in everything was clear, but almost too clean, to me the sound lacked "definition", if that makes any sense.
The Siberia V2s are much better I think, but to me they also lack "definition".

The low impedance (24-Ohm) Sony MDR-XB500s are not really headphones you want to plug directly into sound cards, with or without built in head amps (and motherboard built in audio).
The portable audio devices like IPods, some mp3 players or portable headphone amplifiers are better designed for driving low impedance headphones.
Stick with the Titanium (non-HD) sound card and buy the Gemini HSR-1000 (Takstar Pro 80) headphones, they are 60-Ohms, so should work better plugged straight into a sound card.
Did it matter if the headphones are closed or open?
 
If you got a headphone amplifier, like the Fiio E11 ($60) portable headphone amplifier, it should improve the audio quality of any headphone used with the Titanium sound card (even the XB500).
Still think the HSR-1000 is a better choice (even better sounding if used with E11).
For $65 you can get the E11, with extra battery (BL-5B) and simple AC battery recharger, from the Micca store.

 

[Roller]

Why would he get the E11 when it can't be used while charging, has less driving capabilities (compared to the PA2V2) and the battery lasts ~10h (vs PA2V2's 100h)?

 

[PurpleAngel]

Quote:

Why would he get the E11 when it can't be used while charging, has less driving capabilities (compared to the PA2V2) and the battery lasts ~10h (vs PA2V2's 100h)?

The E11/Micca package would allow the spare battery to charge while the E11 is in use,
as I know zero about the PA2V2, can't really recommend it.