[jfourc]

Hi everyone, I've been a member of these forums for quite some time now, but never came around to posting. But now I have question that I just can't seem to find the answer for from just lurking.

Currently, I have HD650's and a DV 336se amp for my music needs. However, I want a headphone setup for FPS gaming. After reading some of the numerous posts about gaming and headphones out there I'm trying to decide between two options, trying to keep costs down while maintaining a good quality rig for gaming:

1. Get a DAC and hook it up to my existing amp and phones. Do I need a sound card (I don't really use my computer to listen to music so right now using Gigabyte x58 motherboard onboard sound)? Any suggestions for a DAC or sound card decently priced ($100-$200)?
2. Just get AD700s and maybe a sound card too. Any suggestions for a good pairing between AD700s + sound card?

Thanks!

 

[mbd2884]

Just the AD700 and if you want, a soundcard. I still think sound in games to be highly overrated.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I still think sound in games to be highly overrated.

See ARMA and Project Reality. Also I've fragged many a people only via sound and nothing else. Couldn't see them at all.

 

[Oggranak]

SQ has always meant just as much to me in gaming as in music, TBH. The #1 thing in gaming for me is immersion and sound is a big part of that. It's not just about getting kills, and I think a lot of people don't understand that when people talk about 'gaming headphones'.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oggranak /img/forum/go_quote.gif SQ has always meant just as much to me in gaming as in music, TBH. The #1 thing in gaming for me is immersion and sound is a big part of that. It's not just about getting kills, and I think a lot of people don't understand that when people talk about 'gaming headphones'.

That is correct. Bioshock and Fallout 3 are games in which immersion via sound is noticed quite well and done well.
Immersion and sound positioning can be very different things and both have headphones that suit both purposes.
e.g. AD700 is great for FPS games but it doesn't have the immersion factor due to it's thin sounding and bass lacking sound signature.

 

[mbd2884]

I played Bioshock and Fallout 3 (not completely, among the few who got bored), and played it with sound off with just my music playing in the background. Made no difference to me at all.

Game sound overrated.

 

[Foe-hammer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I played Bioshock and Fallout 3 (not completely, among the few who got bored), and played it with sound off with just my music playing in the background. Made no difference to me at all. Game sound overrated.

Wow... it's a wonder that you even appreciate music.

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif That is correct. Bioshock and Fallout 3 are games in which immersion via sound is noticed quite well and done well. Immersion and sound positioning can be very different things and both have headphones that suit both purposes. e.g. AD700 is great for FPS games but it doesn't have the immersion factor due to it's thin sounding and bass lacking sound signature.

Although soundstage does help immersion. If things don't sound fully 3D with decent positioning/distance, it's hard to believe the sound, you know?

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Oggranak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Although soundstage does help immersion. If things don't sound fully 3D with decent positioning/distance, it's hard to believe the sound, you know?

Somehow the best players out there playing in the toughest tournaments in the world with sponsored headphones from Steel and the like with Creative's X-Fi soundcards, and being the best tells me, yeah sound and headphone in games is completely, utterly 100% overrated on Head-Fi. Just blown way out of proportion that to me it's a laughable.

And they play in loud environments with that lan setup, where they can hear their clan mates yelling screaming, onlooking audience. Yeah frankly, it's hilarious reading Head-Fi where gamers are looking for ridiculously overkill headphone setups for their games.

Just buy some decent headphones, doesn't even have to be AD700s, something even cheaper. If you are serious gamer, spend the money on improving your latency, better connection, better mouse and keyboards, mastery macros, and better hardware.

Upgrading my old Logitech mouse to my Microsoft Habu mouse using Razer's technology made more difference than any headphone would have. And if I was a more serious gamer, definitely would have spent even more on my mouse.

 

[coredump]

Get the AD700. The HD650 isn't a good FPS headphone.

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Somehow the best players out there playing in the toughest tournaments in the world with sponsored headphones from Steel and the like with Creative's X-Fi soundcards, and being the best tells me, yeah sound and headphone in games is completely, utterly 100% overrated on Head-Fi. Just blown way out of proportion that to me it's a laughable.

And hence why I say people don't get it. It's not just about getting kills, although I can say from personal experience that it does help a bit. Gaming isn't just a competition for points, it's an experience to be enjoyed, and a major factor in that is immersion. My favourite game of all time is The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind almost solely based on the immersion factor.

And the funny thing is, if you'd read the posts before yours, you'd already have heard this. If you want to continue laughing at gamers for thinking that better headphone = MOAR POINTZ then fine, do so, but remember that none of us are taking your straw man seriously.

 

[KingStyles]

Quote:

Somehow the best players out there playing in the toughest tournaments in the world with sponsored headphones from Steel and the like with Creative's X-Fi soundcards, and being the best tells me, yeah sound and headphone in games is completely, utterly 100% overrated on Head-Fi. Just blown way out of proportion that to me it's a laughable. And they play in loud environments with that lan setup, where they can hear their clan mates yelling screaming, onlooking audience. Yeah frankly, it's hilarious reading Head-Fi where gamers are looking for ridiculously overkill headphone setups for their games.

We all have things we appreciate more than others. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that goes for what people like and dislike in music and games. I myself can appreciate what the sound can do to give advantages in gaming and how it can make the game more immersive. Whats the point of playing a flight simulator if your pc speakers make it sound like an model airplane. Isnt the reason your doing a simulator to feel and sound like your flying? Just like gamers who think bose headphones are good just to find out from audiophiles that they suck is the same as audiophile that dont game telling a hardcore gamer that his $50 gaming headphones are awesome. My hardware cant get to much better for gaming, but audio is unending. One last thing, a lot of profesional gamers have to use what there sponser would like them to use. With the addition of the astro mix amp to tournaments, the use of different headphone and headsets has risen.

 

[Fed-Up]

Going from a $5 headphone to a $50 headphone made a great difference in terms of positioning in FPS games (and overall soundquality and comfort, ofcourse).
Even bigger improvement in positioning came from a soundcard.
However, going from a $50 headphone to a $150 headphone didn't increase the performance much in terms of positioning, but improved soundquality and comfort.
Getting a more expensive headphone will not help you getting better, but atleast it could be more comfortable and have a better soundquality.

If your main intent is FPS gaming, get a comfortable headphone with decent soundquality + a soundcard to help with positioning.
Since you already have a HD 650 for your music needs, I don't think there's much reason to go overboard with the gaming-setup.

Personally I'm upgrading to the ATH-A900 atm, but that's not because of the games, but because I needed something 'more' for music and movies.

 

[Solid Snake]

Quote:

Originally Posted by coredump /img/forum/go_quote.gif Get the AD700. The HD650 isn't a good FPS headphone.

I would have to disagree respectfully.

I play Socom (Yes I know its 3rd person view but there isn't a huge difference) on the PS3 with the HD650 and I always manage to be in the top three at the end of each round.

I always hear the foot steps behind me and manage to anticipate the enemies every time (or most of the time)...

Good details for me and the soundstage seems just right.

AD700 is another good recommendation as well.

 

[iriverdude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just the AD700 and if you want, a soundcard. I still think sound in games to be highly overrated.

rofl never heard gaming on a decent sound rig. I've fired guns in real life, and audio system sounds virtually identical. With 5.1 as you get effects from behind you. I would say my pc audio rig is somewhere in the region of £1400.

Phones can't match a surround system.