Xbox360 headphones
Nov 19, 2009 at 5:42 PM Thread Starter Post #1 of 23
mzinz

mzinz

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I've been having a tough time deciding on some headphones for my Xbox 360.

I know there are some older threads on this, but most of them never really came to a finish.

I'm looking for decent cans, probably in the $50-$150 range. I don't care how they hook up to the Xbox, although I don't have any receive or amp or anything now.

My primary reason for using them will be to increase how well I can hear in first person shooters. I want to be able to hear a guy behind me, etc.

Right now I have some decent ones: Amazon.com: JVC HARX900 High-Grade Full-Size Headphone: Electronics

These have a couple issues, though. Mainly, they don't have a mic built in (this is something I would like). Secondly, they are just stereo. Admittedly, I have no idea how much having Dolby 5.1 would help.

Any advice is welcome, I'm very new to all this!

Thanks
 
Nov 20, 2009 at 9:53 AM Post #4 of 23
Quote:

Originally Posted by LingLing1337 /img/forum/go_quote.gif
Dump the idea of 5.1 or 7.1 headphones immediately and look up "soundstage" and look for headphones that exemplify that attribute. Particularly, I'd look into the Audio-Technica ATH-AD700.


In general, he is right... but misinformed some what.

Generally most gaming headsets that offer "true 5.1 surround" are garbage. That being said, there are a few GREAT DSP surround technologies that add surround in headphones, greatly increasing the sound stage, 3D sound placement and sound depth. In general, a speaker like surround presentation. The AD700s are great FPS headphones, BUT they are even better with good DSP. There are three DSP technologies that work the best for FPS gaming. All three use regular stereo headphones, and produce the surround via algorithms (way over simplified). But the prices range drastically.

1) Smyth Virtual System. The absolute finest surround sound that can be had with headphones. Way too much detail to go into. Cost: $3,000

2) Beyerdynamic Headzone. Right up there with Smyth System. Cost: $1,500 - $2,000.

3) Dolby Headphone. Cost: $100 - $200. The best option for those who are on a tight budget. It works remarkably well. Great imo. It provides a large improvement over stereo. I recommend the Astro MixAmp. It has Dolby Digital and Dolby Headphone. From there just plug your regular stereo headphones into it and they will work in full 5.1 surround. Just make sure you get a optical cable to run from your 360 to the MixAmp (you need the cable for Dolby Digital to process 5.1. Regular RCA cables hook up to the MixAmp will only produce Dolby Prologic; no 5.1 surround).


For a mic, i HIGHLY recommend getting the modern warfare 2 throat mic. It works amazingly well with headphones. Better then a boom mic. It plugs directly into the MixAmp. My gaming setup is as follows: Astro MixAmp > Beyerdynamic DT880 > Modern Warfare 2 Throat Mic. I have a number of mic alternatives. Namely: zalman clip mic, califone neck mic, and a custom made boom mic. The modern warfare 2 throat mic works the best of them all.

I do not recommend the TB x41's. While they use Dolby Headphone for surround, the overall sound is not high quality. And there is a hiss at all volumes. The TB x31's do not even support Dolby Headphone, and are therefor just wireless stereo headphones. The Tritton 720's are an excellent option for $130. They also support Dolby Headphone for 5.1 surround, but the headset comfort and adjustment is poor. Another good option is the Astro MixAmp + TB HPX-1 or HPX-2 headset (the only headset by TB that i recommend).
 
Nov 20, 2009 at 5:36 PM Post #5 of 23
Thank you for the detailed reply.

So the Astro Mixamp just takes the (optical) audio in from the Xbox, then puts it out to stereo headphones in 5.1? Could I continue using the JVC ones I already own, or would I still need new headphones?

Right now I just use Xbox(RCA)->****ty Logitech Speaker System->Stereo Headphones.

Edit: When I say "Could I continue using the JVC ones I already own", I'm really wondering if they are good and worth while enough to use in games. I read a couple reviews on them, and reviewers said it had a decent/good soundstage, but I would like to hear what you guys think.
 
Nov 20, 2009 at 6:15 PM Post #6 of 23
Just throwing some names out there; Tritton AX720 (gaming headset with superior overall sound quality), Turtle Beach HPX (gaming headset with superior positional audio, Audio Technica AD700 (headphone with a great soundstage, therefore great positional audio).
 
Nov 20, 2009 at 6:46 PM Post #8 of 23
Nov 20, 2009 at 7:07 PM Post #9 of 23
I guess what I'm wondering is:
How much better is AD700 than JVC-HARX900 (soundstage wise) by itself?
How much improvement would either headphone get using the Astro A40 MixAmp?
 
Nov 20, 2009 at 10:13 PM Post #10 of 23
I recently picked up the Astro mixamp and would highly recommend it. I would suggest getting the mix amp to use with your JVCs for now, and maybe upgrading to some AD700 or DT770s later on.

Foe-hammer: Do you run the throat mic through the mix amp, or do you have to connect it directly to the 360 controller? Right now I'm using the Zalmann clip mic and I'm not very happy with it. . . but I want something that will work with my PS3 too. . .
 
Nov 21, 2009 at 12:10 AM Post #11 of 23
Quote:

Originally Posted by Das Mookid /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I recently picked up the Astro mixamp and would highly recommend it. I would suggest getting the mix amp to use with your JVCs for now, and maybe upgrading to some AD700 or DT770s later on.

Foe-hammer: Do you run the throat mic through the mix amp, or do you have to connect it directly to the 360 controller? Right now I'm using the Zalmann clip mic and I'm not very happy with it. . . but I want something that will work with my PS3 too. . .


Das Mookid has the right idea. Get the MixAmp and use it with your JVC headphones, then if you decide to later on upgrade to better headphones. Just the MixAmp will make a huge difference because of Dolby Headphone.

I run the throat mic to the MixAmp. You'll need a 3.5mm to 2.5mm stereo adapter to do so, though. Works great. The zalman clip mic is just plain crap. I have to yell or put the mic next to my mouth for others to hear me.
 
Nov 21, 2009 at 9:52 AM Post #12 of 23
I don't want to hijack the thread, but hopefully add to it.

Are there any AV Receivers that can do what the Astro Mixamp does?

I started a similar topic, but I didn't quite ask the right question in regards to substituting a receiver for the mixamp. As was mentioned in this thread earlier, you can go from the 360 to whatever amp source via toslink, and then headphone output to the headphones. Is there a way to add a mic to this scenario with a receiver?

If possible, I'd rather have a nice home theater setup sans Astro and kill two birds with one stone (power my 5.1 speaker set up until late night, then switch to headphone/mic, or headset so as not to bother the neighbors).

A few other variables to consider; volume control for chat vs. game audio/music soundtrack, and having a way to hear yourself talk even with a mic (feedback the mic as a monitor).

As for the MWF2 throat mic, it has HP that come with it, wouldn't that get in the way of your preferred headphones?

The mixamp is reasonably priced so if I have to buy it, no worries, just have an extra box and more wires to contend with.
 
Nov 24, 2009 at 8:25 PM Post #13 of 23
Thanks for all the advice guys. I'll probably get the mixamp in the near future.

I wonder if the AD700s would be a big improvement over the JVC's? Anyone have any clue?
 
Nov 26, 2009 at 5:07 AM Post #14 of 23
Quote:

Are there any AV Receivers that can do what the Astro Mixamp does?


I am also interested in this topic. Does anyone have any recommendations on an AV Reciever that is capable of DH, DTS, etc. and has a built in HP amp?

I really like the mixamp but you are limited to DH2. There is also another alternative Victor/JVC SU-DH1 but I do not know how well this works (sound quality) nor if it would need an amp for other headphones. I do know that the SU-DH1 supports a lot more than just DH.

Punisher
 
Nov 29, 2009 at 7:32 PM Post #15 of 23
Sorry for the bump, but I've been researching a microphone solution for a Astro Mixamp setup for the 360 for a while but still have some unanswered questions.

I plan to pick up both the Mixamp and ad700s to utilize the Dolby Headphone feature. Originally, I was going to get the Zalman mic as well, but according to foe-hammer and a few other people on the web it's essentially useless for console gaming since the controller doesn't provide enough power. foe-hammer said the mic might work if it's close to your mouth; do you think if i clipped it onto the wire directly underneath the headphone cup it would work?

I don't want to attach a boom mic since although I do have other headphones I'd rather be able to use the ad700s for other things besides gaming as well.

The throat communicator certainly looks like an option, but it's pricy for what it is. When using it, do you just let the earbud dangle?

I might just end up shelling out the 30 dollars for it.

Thanks a lot in advance; most of the information I found on the internet is conflicting, so a first person testimony would be super helpful.
 
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