[ourfpshero]

wow!
ok- i have many audiophile headphones AND gaming headsets AND have had 5.1 headsets- including the medusas.

the medusas are great for simulating a 5.1 speaker setup. great surround sound effect. they also sound like complete garbage. No , and i mean no bass. sound like three 99 cent speakers stuffed into each cup. an expensive gimmick

the steelsounds are comfy, great mic, great highs , little bass. its that way on purpose, huge soundstage and clarity on voices and gunshots. the 4h has more bass than the 5hv2. i use a 4h for my clan matches.

surround sound can be done in regular headphones with any decent soundcard that supports cmss3d, ds3d, openal, or dolby headphone. i like this better than 5.1 headsets because there is a complete field of sound as opposed to 5 separate points of sound.
any decent headphone that has a medium or large soundstage combined with a decent soundcard blows away 5.1 headphones for positional.

 

[The Uam]

Hmm, I have been doing some research on the matter for a couple of weeks now. I am looking for a pair of cans for online gaming. This is what I'm thinking of buying....
Soundcard: AuzenTech Forte $160
Interconnect Cable: Cardas 1M Cable $45
Amp/DAC: Ibasso D2 Boa $165
Headphones: Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro80 $250

Total: $620......

This is getting expensive.... (This is base price, with taxes ect, its likely to be $100 more...)

Also, will I need the D2 Boa? Will the Forte help the 770?
Thanks!

 

[spacemanspliff]

$250 for 770s is a rip off for one.

The Forte should be good enough as an amp for now. No dire need to get an amp now.

So no i/c now either right?

Ok. Canada.

Cheapest good cans that I would take over a 770

JVC-HAR-X900
JVC HA-RX900 - Price Comparison - Canada's Cheapest Prices

Try it. I promise the 900s will impress and you save almost $400. It will sound better in many ways for gaming than the 770s amped will.

 

[Oggranak]

I recommend buying used. As a Canadian, I save often half of what I'd pay for something new. It's the way to buy for non-Americans.

Also, with that amp/sound card/headphone setup, I wouldn't recommend upgrading cables.

My recommendation: see if you can find AD700s used in the For Sale forum. They are generally 110 CAD after all is said and done. With at least a decent source/amp, these should be fine.

If isolation is a concern (I'm too lazy to go back to the OP and check, lol), then fine, go for the DT770s, but don't buy new.

 

[Fusedmb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by LordZ /img/forum/go_quote.gif I never said 5.1 is automatically better. Did you even read my post? I went over it more than once. This time I'll be more detailed. In a cheap setup, you might not even hear footsteps. With audiophile headphones, you will hear an accurate reproduction of each footstep but will likely have no clue of which direction they are coming from(you might be able to tell left or right but not front or back). With 5.1 surround sound, you will know the direction and distance of the footsteps the moment you hear them, even if the footsteps do not sound as realistic as they would on an audiophile headset. This is what makes 5.1 important to a gamer. It doesn't just make it easier to detect enemies but it adds a whole new layer of depth to the game. In a game like FEAR, it really makes the game come to life. Playing FEAR with a standard 2.0 speaker setup can't even be compared to playing on a decent 5.1 setup. It's not even the same game anymore. Without 5.1, you don't get the feeling of Alma being behind you whispering in your ear and the sudden urge to turn around. There are a lot of other games that are the same way. If you can't tell the difference between stereo and surround sound in a game like that then you need to have your hearing checked or you screwed up your settings badly.

I'm using MDR-F1s (thanks to kool bubba ice for the recommendation) and they're wonderful for FPS games. To me, a pair of nice headphones > my home theater 5.1 setup.

Here's a few binaural recordings to give you an idea of how well headphones can position sound. sound immersion (hear sounds above, and behind you using regular headphones. who says you need to buy surround sound?) - flash
RapidShare: Easy Filehosting

There's an entire thread on binaural sounds: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f9/leg...-links-223165/

 

[Foe-hammer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by iriverdude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Lots of ways really can only be described if you've heard a good home theatre.

I have, and my headphone setup beat it on every point i stated for competitive FPS gaming. Please enlighten us on how it can.

 

[chinesekiwi]

Foe-Hammer I know you're an advocate for the DT880's for gaming but I'll still have to go AD700 for positional gaming. Much better positioning. Atmospheric gaming = well DT880's.

 

[Fusedmb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foe-hammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have, and my headphone setup beat it on every point i stated for competitive FPS gaming. Please enlighten us on how it can.

QFT

 

[Oggranak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foe-hammer /img/forum/go_quote.gif I have, and my headphone setup beat it on every point i stated for competitive FPS gaming. Please enlighten us on how it can.

Maybe he has better 5.1 speakers than you.

Or maybe he hasn't tried the right headphones.

Or, of course, there's the chance that both of you look for different things in gaming audio.

However, if one thing can be taken away from this, it's that you can gain much enjoyment from headphone gaming, as Foe-hammer does. Whether there's something better in the more expensive and inconvenient realm of speakers is irrelevant unless the OP also is considering speakers.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chinesekiwi /img/forum/go_quote.gif Foe-Hammer I know you're an advocate for the DT880's for gaming but I'll still have to go AD700 for positional gaming. Much better positioning. Atmospheric gaming = well DT880's.

To be fair... He is using a very, very good amp which really brings out the strength of the DT880. The you add in DD 5.1. I owned the VHP1, he has the up graded VHP2. So I can attest to their gaming prowess..But you still need to get the VAC1 PS.. Makes a huge difference in bass..Like physically feeling the bass.

 

[spacemanspliff]

Hmm. No. If a HT is setup for fps, it should be an improvement over headphones.

Headphones are MUCH easier than speakers to setup. The room doesn't come into play, you don't need sound absorption panels or calibration. Much less space usage, wires, etc.

Compared to a casual 5.1 setup, most headphones do much better for positional audio.

A dedicated, properly setup 5.1 or more surround should do better than headphones. Soundstage and dynamics of speakers just set your hair on fire when they are right. Because the soundstage is bigger, so are the sounds. You can pick things out easier.

Not saying proper speaker surround is easy to achieve though. You have to use speakers ok for near field use and calibrate the system for such close proximity. It helps to have a receiver with calibration abilities and a microphone. Audyssey comes with my Denon receiver and it makes a big difference b/w it being on and off with just stereo usage.

We'll see soon enough. I am building a 6.1 upstairs and can say it is going to be a TIGHT setup. Has to be to compete with my alo 780s.

I think the new Smyth headphone system should put headphones pretty well up there once the price of it comes down though. $3000 atm? Pass but yeah, eventually.

 

[kool bubba ice]

Quote:

Originally Posted by spacemanspliff /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hmm. No. If a HT is setup for fps, it should be an improvement over headphones. Headphones are MUCH easier than speakers to setup. The room doesn't come into play, you don't need sound absorption panels or calibration. Much less space usage, wires, etc. Not saying this is easy to achieve though. You have to use speakers ok for near field use and calibrate the system for such close proximity. It helps to have a receiver with calibration abilities and a microphone. Audyssey comes with my Denon receiver and it makes a big difference b/w it being on and off with just stereo usage.

Still sounds to general? Are you talking about a 1-2 hundred HTIB?

 

[spacemanspliff]

Even a good 5.1 can sound like crap in the wrong room without calibration. How many people spend the time setting speakers up properly?

So yeah, a cheap HTIB somebody just slapped together in the room compared to headphones? Headphones all day.

 

[djevoultion]

I found the AD900 to be excellent for gaming.

 

[jfourc]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm probably going to get a new sound card for sure. It's probably going to be the Forte, but the Asus Essence is tempting the audiophile/music side of me even though the Forte is probably better for gaming. Anyone know if there is a huge different between the DACs on those two sound cards?

As for phones - I'll probably stick with the AD700 because it's within my budget and seems to perform pretty well for what you pay for. But CanJam is coming up and I'll be going so I'll make sure to check out as many headphones as possible before committing.

Also I like the idea of a 5.1 speaker setup, but that would be way too much money for a good setup, and it wouldn't be as easy to setup properly in my room.