I'm in the market for a headset for gaming. The one I've used so far, an Astro A40, has served me well for the past few years but there are a couple of issues with it: the cushion on the headband broke off a while ago making it kinda uncomfortable, and I recently stepped on the USB cable connected to the mixamp thing which busted the USB port. It still works but I need to bend the USB cable to keep upward pressure on the male-female usb connection or it fucks up and then windows doesn't recognize the mic, I have to reboot my computer and make sure the connection doesn't break, my cat brushes past it and I lose the mic, etc etc etc. Its a pain in the ass.
Anyways.
Anyone have good recommendations?
My use for this will only be gaming when I need to voice chat, or when having the immersion of a headset is really ideal in a game. I have a 5.1 surround setup for watching movies, listening to music, or gaming when I don't need voice chat. Also wired vs wireless, I don't really care. I don't need wireless but I am not against it.
Googling has lead me to SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless Gaming Headset for about $170 CDN, and the Astro A50 which is a lot more money at like $400-$500. I mean I could drop that much money on a headset but only if it was REALLY worth it.
edit: nice
Al_wat on
0
minor incidentexpert in a dying fieldnjRegistered Userregular
edited March 2018
The A50 is actually really nice, but the price keeps going up and it's hard to justify if you don't NEED wireless.
My favorite headeset is easily the Sennheiser G4ME One. It's super light weight, the mic is the best integrated one I've ever used, and it's basically built on the Sennheiser 598 headphones, so it's incredibly comfortable (way more so than the Astros), and the sound quality is incredible.
minor incident on
Ah, it stinks, it sucks, it's anthropologically unjust
So guys, my Steelseries Wireless H (which is the old name for the 800 model) just died after 3 and a half years (the base station did, the batteries and headset itself are just fine). So, I'm stuck with choices. I paid about 275 for them back when they were first out and nearly 330 or so. Since I still have a set of batteries and all the cables and such, I can get the 840's for $260, or I can get the wireless Arctis 7's for $135. The Arctis 7's don't have swappable batteries though, but I can apparently charge while playing. I'd prefer something with swappable batteries.
Are there any other wireless headsets you guys can recommend (like the ones above)? Leaning towards the Arctis 7's.
SteelSeries is going high(er) end with the Arctis Pro + GameDAC.
Dedicated High Fidelity USB DAC + Amplifier for Gaming
The GameDAC transforms any PS4 or PC into a high performance audio source by bypassing the low fidelity, poor quality DACs found in typical console controllers, USB headsets, and PC sound cards.
I am interested in the Arctis Pro wireless. The transmitter box that comes with it seems like a good feature, and it looks like it can do something that will add a lot of convenience for me - being able to switch between my headset and surround sound speaker setup with the touch of a button as opposed to having to swap cables and change windows settings.
if you look at this image of the ports on the box:
it seems like the way it would work is USB-in from the computer and then Optical-Out to my A/V receiver.
edit: I could also do Optical-in from my PS4, meaning even less cable swapping when I want to play that (which these days is seldom, but having the option would be nice)
edit 2: although now that I do more research it looks like the Wired Pro + DAC is considered "better" because of the DAC, and also its cheaper which is appealing. Swapping between the headset and A/V receiver might not require cable swapping, because I can do Digital Audio from the computer to the A/V receiver and USB to the headset, I would just have to swap audio outputs through windows. Which is a bit annoying but... no cable swapping at least.
I just got a Sennheiser GSP-600 headset to replace my breaking Game Zero (breaking due to my own mishandling). They sound great, even better than the Zero, with juuuuust a bit more oomph in the lower range and less shrillness in the upper, without losing clarity or details. They clamp tightly onto the head (which the Zero sort of didn't), and the extremely beefy foam pads make it so that I can't hear shit except for what's coming out of the headset, which is a plus for me.
The only downsides for me are that the cup-mounted volume knob is much stiffer than the one on the Zero, and the design looks a bit too z0mg-h47dc0re-2tehMAX for my liking, but hopefully they'll be sturdier than my old Zero.
0
StragintDo Not GiftAlways DeclinesRegistered Userregular
edited April 2018
Is there a way I can convert my USB microphone to AUX and plug it into my phone to record audio?
I've looked on Amazon for a female USB to AUX jack but I'm having trouble finding an answer to my question on the item page and from Google searches.
Stragint on
PSN: Reaper_Stragint, Steam: DoublePitstoChesty
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
I have my Arctis Pro + GameDAC! Like AI_wat, I am willing to forgo wireless and Bluetooth to have the DAC. Its a shame the DAC isn't sold separately.
I got very little change in my Overwatch experience outside of fuller bass, because Overwatch relies on Dolby Atmos, which stunts audio quality in favor of spatial audio, which is critical for hearing the footsteps of flankers. So instead I activated DTS on the DAC, played Blade Runner 2049, and it was magical. I'll continue experimenting with other games.
EDIT- I forgot God of War was coming out, and I have a reason to dust off my PS4, now I'm even happier I went with the DAC version!
So I'm back to being a bus commuter and really need to get a new pair of headphones, looking for suggestions in this area.
required:
circumaural
tight enough to not get bumped off while bus riding/walking around
want:
bluetooth
as comfy as possible
closed-back
would be nice:
decent sound quality (will probably be mostly podcasts, etc, so not that big a deal)
folds up into a not-huge package for storage
behind the head instead of over the top (probably a pipe dream with the other reqs)
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
Whatever. I mean probably not more than like $500 and it should be worth it for whatever price. Rather get something solid at $100 than something marginally better at $400, y'know?
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
life's a game that you're bound to lose / like using a hammer to pound in screws
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
I'm looking for in-ear bluetooth earbuds. Mostly for the gym and train commuting. My previous ones were JaybirdX
s and I loved them but the reviews for their newer stuff looks really bad.
I'm not sure if this question should go here or the TV thread, but I figured I'd start here. I've got two audio needs that for space (small apartment) and budget reasons, I'd like to solve with one application if possible:
We've slowly collected enough vinyl records that we'd like like to finally get a vinyl record player set up and listen to them. I have a record player in mind (with a built in by-passable pre-amp), but I need a speaker set up. Nothing too fancy; we don't need Bluetooth or anything because of the small apartment mentioned above.
Our TV sounds like crap! It's a bit past it's prime (2011), but the visuals seem fine and we don't need anything bigger. The audio has become so problematic that combined with the street noise in the area we often just turn on subtitles for our own language so we can read what people are saying. Dialog is especially an issue.
Is it possible to get some speakers that solve both at once? For the turntable, I was originally planning to get some bookshelf speakers. For the TV audio, everyone seems to recommend either a center channel speaker or a soundbar. Can I just use bookshelf speakers for the TV as well? Alternatively, how well can a turntable work through a soundbar?
Am I going to need to get some 3.1(?) setup with a receiver and all that nonsense to handle this?
It depends on what the capabilities of your record player are. Can you tell us the model?
A Fluance RT81, the amazon page has pretty specific specs. I'm also not dead-set on the model.
Speaker placement is going to be a bit tricky; the apartment is shaped like a rectangular U, with the living room at the bend and the kitchen/bedroom at either ends. I can't imagine a scenario when we're going to be both listening to TV and music in the same living room, so an all-in-one solution seemed best, but I can try to find room for separate solutions if it means not sacrificing a lot of quality for either one.
they're p good so far. The shape is kind of annoying for quickly putting in your ear but i imagine playing with the caps till I find the right ones will help
It depends on what the capabilities of your record player are. Can you tell us the model?
A Fluance RT81, the amazon page has pretty specific specs. I'm also not dead-set on the model.
Speaker placement is going to be a bit tricky; the apartment is shaped like a rectangular U, with the living room at the bend and the kitchen/bedroom at either ends. I can't imagine a scenario when we're going to be both listening to TV and music in the same living room, so an all-in-one solution seemed best, but I can try to find room for separate solutions if it means not sacrificing a lot of quality for either one.
Yeah, TV speakers are pretty much always terrible, so I would probably replace both with one thing if possible.
This record player has line-out, so as long as the soundbar you get supports analog line-in (which seems to be most of them) you should be fine. You will need a RCA->3.5mm adapter as well, but those are cheap.
It depends on what the capabilities of your record player are. Can you tell us the model?
A Fluance RT81, the amazon page has pretty specific specs. I'm also not dead-set on the model.
Speaker placement is going to be a bit tricky; the apartment is shaped like a rectangular U, with the living room at the bend and the kitchen/bedroom at either ends. I can't imagine a scenario when we're going to be both listening to TV and music in the same living room, so an all-in-one solution seemed best, but I can try to find room for separate solutions if it means not sacrificing a lot of quality for either one.
um well dropping 250+ on a record player to hook it up to a "soundbar" sounds like missing the point...
a decent recent stereo reciever/amp can usually be had for <100$ on the local craigslist..
or https://www.amazon.com/Sony-STRDH190-Stereo-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B078WFDR8D/
you can plug both tv/records into the reciever... getting a reciever is not " and all that nonsense " .. its just the receiver and speaker wire and maybe some rca cable extensions.
It depends on what the capabilities of your record player are. Can you tell us the model?
A Fluance RT81, the amazon page has pretty specific specs. I'm also not dead-set on the model.
Speaker placement is going to be a bit tricky; the apartment is shaped like a rectangular U, with the living room at the bend and the kitchen/bedroom at either ends. I can't imagine a scenario when we're going to be both listening to TV and music in the same living room, so an all-in-one solution seemed best, but I can try to find room for separate solutions if it means not sacrificing a lot of quality for either one.
um well dropping 250+ on a record player to hook it up to a "soundbar" sounds like missing the point...
I agree, otherwise I would have done that from the start. On the flipside, just stereo speakers didn't seem like it would fix the dialogue issue, which seems to typically need a center channel. I was curious which direction made the bigger sacrifice.
how much do you think you love vinyl? the Fluance81 is kinda "intro-audiohpile"
Well, this is the audiophile thread...
so it's a totally manual turntable.
Actually, it isn't. The platter stops automatically at the end of a record. I've had and used manual turntables before, they're not really an issue.
I'll consider it. From what I've seen, ~175$ seems to be about the bottom price bracket before you start getting in to Crosleys (which I've had before and hated), or in this case rebranded Hanpins. Thanks for the suggestions though!
ok well yeah then the Fluance 81 is a good choice.. or you could go for a Uturn Orbit... I use a Pro-ject Debut3 I got used for 200..
you might also find a used Technics SL 1200 in that ballpark..
the technics and fluance have the easiest headshells for cart swapping..
whereas the Uturn and Pro-ject are more aesthetically subdued..but a little bit more finicky
and unless you want to drop another 150-250ish on a good Preamp... then the Fluance or Uturn wins for having a built-in option..
with a decent pair of bookshelfs that aren't just bass-boomers.. dialogue will come through just fine unless the movie or tv show is just recorded like crap
ok well yeah then the Fluance 81 is a good choice.. or you could go for a Uturn Orbit...
Yeah, I've actually been leaning more towards the U-turn in the week since; it has a lot going for it.
with a decent pair of bookshelfs that aren't just bass-boomers.. dialogue will come through just fine unless the movie or tv show is just recorded like crap
That's what I was hoping to hear! Thank you for all the help. Time to learn how to wire speakers...
Are speakers designed for music much different to those designed for home theatre use?
We've somehow ended up with a probably 20 year old Sony hifi system that belonged to my in-laws that would have been really expensive at the time. I don't see a drastic need to have a cassette player in the house, but I have been thinking about upgrading the TV sound and wondered if using these speakers with a new entry-levelish AV receiver would be better than the 6 year old LG 'home theatre in a box' we're currently outputting everything through.
The speakers are physically pretty massive but that's not a major issue.
I guess the first step would be to set it up and see how the speakers sound plugged into the original system (given that my wife has 4 older brothers there is every chance it got turned up very loud fairly regularly) but thought I'd see if it was a silly idea first.
McFodder on
Switch Friend Code: SW-3944-9431-0318
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
Are speakers designed for music much different to those designed for home theatre use?
We've somehow ended up with a probably 20 year old Sony hifi system that belonged to my in-laws that would have been really expensive at the time. I don't see a drastic need to have a cassette player in the house, but I have been thinking about upgrading the TV sound and wondered if using these with a new entry-levelish AV receiver would be better than the 6 year old LG 'home theatre in a box' we're currently outputting everything through.
The speakers are physically pretty massive but that's not a major issue.
I guess the first step would be to set it up and see how the speakers sound plugged into the original system (given that my wife has 4 older brothers there is every chance it got turned up very loud fairly regularly) but thought I'd see if it was a silly idea first.
I've spent the last week basically looking in to this question, but I'm also probably the least qualified person in this thread to answer. That said, I think there is not much difference.
Most beloved stereo speakers for music are designed as part of a set you could make a surround sound system out of, with matching centers and such. There don't seem to be many speakers that are made only for music (though there are speakers that seem intended only for tv/movies, i.e. soundbars). There seems to be a more dramatic split in receivers, i.e. stereos vs av receivers.
I think it would be worth trying; people seem to generally not recommend "home theater in a box" set ups, so there's a decent chance it would be a sound upgrade despite the age. Do you have a budget for the AV receiver in mind?
ok well yeah then the Fluance 81 is a good choice.. or you could go for a Uturn Orbit...
Yeah, I've actually been leaning more towards the U-turn in the week since; it has a lot going for it.
with a decent pair of bookshelfs that aren't just bass-boomers.. dialogue will come through just fine unless the movie or tv show is just recorded like crap
That's what I was hoping to hear! Thank you for all the help. Time to learn how to wire speakers...
well a couple things you might want to consider about the Uturn..
it has no cue lever, so how steady are your hands for dropping the needle?
having a well adjusted cue lever is a fairly major saftey boon for both record and needle.
also the Orbit has no VTA adjustment.. and no removable headshell.. so down the line if you want to change cartridge.. the Orbit is more limited and also more of an involved process than the Fluance for changing/comparing carts
Posts
Anyways.
Anyone have good recommendations?
My use for this will only be gaming when I need to voice chat, or when having the immersion of a headset is really ideal in a game. I have a 5.1 surround setup for watching movies, listening to music, or gaming when I don't need voice chat. Also wired vs wireless, I don't really care. I don't need wireless but I am not against it.
Googling has lead me to SteelSeries Arctis 7 Wireless Gaming Headset for about $170 CDN, and the Astro A50 which is a lot more money at like $400-$500. I mean I could drop that much money on a headset but only if it was REALLY worth it.
edit: nice
My favorite headeset is easily the Sennheiser G4ME One. It's super light weight, the mic is the best integrated one I've ever used, and it's basically built on the Sennheiser 598 headphones, so it's incredibly comfortable (way more so than the Astros), and the sound quality is incredible.
I really like my Logitech G633s.
And did you know that, until this post, I thought your name was eh-aye what, not eh-ell what?
Steam: Elvenshae // PSN: Elvenshae // WotC: Elvenshae
Wilds of Aladrion: [https://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/comment/43159014/#Comment_43159014]Ellandryn[/url]
https://www.massdrop.com/buy/massdrop-x-sennheiser-pc37x-gaming-headset
Also, Corsair's headsets have been well received.
Are there any other wireless headsets you guys can recommend (like the ones above)? Leaning towards the Arctis 7's.
I got these last year and they're pretty nice. I haven't used the mic yet, so I can't tell you how that part is.
Not really, since I want them to be wireless, and most would say that's a bad idea.
https://www.cnet.com/news/steelseries-arctis-pro-hands-on-preview/
I need to deal a finishing blow to my student loans in the summer, until then, I'm going to hold off.
if you look at this image of the ports on the box:
it seems like the way it would work is USB-in from the computer and then Optical-Out to my A/V receiver.
edit: I could also do Optical-in from my PS4, meaning even less cable swapping when I want to play that (which these days is seldom, but having the option would be nice)
edit 2: although now that I do more research it looks like the Wired Pro + DAC is considered "better" because of the DAC, and also its cheaper which is appealing. Swapping between the headset and A/V receiver might not require cable swapping, because I can do Digital Audio from the computer to the A/V receiver and USB to the headset, I would just have to swap audio outputs through windows. Which is a bit annoying but... no cable swapping at least.
* Overwatch audio runs on Dolby Atmos, therefore I don't mess with my regular Arctis's surround options in favor of OW's audio options.
EDIT - Nevermind, upon following the instructions, and fiddling with the equalizer, Overwatch and PS4 games sound delicious.
The only downsides for me are that the cup-mounted volume knob is much stiffer than the one on the Zero, and the design looks a bit too z0mg-h47dc0re-2tehMAX for my liking, but hopefully they'll be sturdier than my old Zero.
I've looked on Amazon for a female USB to AUX jack but I'm having trouble finding an answer to my question on the item page and from Google searches.
What is the point of being alive if you don't at least try to do something remarkable? ~ Mario Novak
I never fear death or dyin', I only fear never trying.
No.
I got very little change in my Overwatch experience outside of fuller bass, because Overwatch relies on Dolby Atmos, which stunts audio quality in favor of spatial audio, which is critical for hearing the footsteps of flankers. So instead I activated DTS on the DAC, played Blade Runner 2049, and it was magical. I'll continue experimenting with other games.
EDIT- I forgot God of War was coming out, and I have a reason to dust off my PS4, now I'm even happier I went with the DAC version!
So I'm back to being a bus commuter and really need to get a new pair of headphones, looking for suggestions in this area.
required:
want:
would be nice:
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
If no...I'd probably still look at those because most wireless cans without ANC are on-ear instead of over-ear.
thanks for the suggestions!
fuck up once and you break your thumb / if you're happy at all then you're god damn dumb
that's right we're on a fucked up cruise / God is dead but at least we have booze
bad things happen, no one knows why / the sun burns out and everyone dies
I'm looking for in-ear bluetooth earbuds. Mostly for the gym and train commuting. My previous ones were JaybirdX
s and I loved them but the reviews for their newer stuff looks really bad.
Any other similar stuff out there?
FWIW, Wirecutter and RTings both like the Jaybird X3s. Wirecutter slightly prefers the JLab Epic Sport if you're looking for something different.
Is it possible to get some speakers that solve both at once? For the turntable, I was originally planning to get some bookshelf speakers. For the TV audio, everyone seems to recommend either a center channel speaker or a soundbar. Can I just use bookshelf speakers for the TV as well? Alternatively, how well can a turntable work through a soundbar?
Am I going to need to get some 3.1(?) setup with a receiver and all that nonsense to handle this?
A Fluance RT81, the amazon page has pretty specific specs. I'm also not dead-set on the model.
Speaker placement is going to be a bit tricky; the apartment is shaped like a rectangular U, with the living room at the bend and the kitchen/bedroom at either ends. I can't imagine a scenario when we're going to be both listening to TV and music in the same living room, so an all-in-one solution seemed best, but I can try to find room for separate solutions if it means not sacrificing a lot of quality for either one.
they're p good so far. The shape is kind of annoying for quickly putting in your ear but i imagine playing with the caps till I find the right ones will help
Yeah, TV speakers are pretty much always terrible, so I would probably replace both with one thing if possible.
This record player has line-out, so as long as the soundbar you get supports analog line-in (which seems to be most of them) you should be fine. You will need a RCA->3.5mm adapter as well, but those are cheap.
um well dropping 250+ on a record player to hook it up to a "soundbar" sounds like missing the point...
a decent recent stereo reciever/amp can usually be had for <100$ on the local craigslist..
or https://www.amazon.com/Sony-STRDH190-Stereo-Receiver-Bluetooth/dp/B078WFDR8D/
you can plug both tv/records into the reciever... getting a reciever is not " and all that nonsense " .. its just the receiver and speaker wire and maybe some rca cable extensions.
Fluance also makes good speakers
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00067OS0A/ref=s9_acsd_hps_bw_c_x_2_w
how much do you think you love vinyl? the Fluance81 is kinda "intro-audiohpile" so it's a totally manual turntable.
maybe you want something more carefree and automatic.. https://www.amazon.com/Pioneer-PL-990-Automatic-Stereo-Turntable/dp/B00005NDMR/
Well, this is the audiophile thread...
Actually, it isn't. The platter stops automatically at the end of a record. I've had and used manual turntables before, they're not really an issue. I'll consider it. From what I've seen, ~175$ seems to be about the bottom price bracket before you start getting in to Crosleys (which I've had before and hated), or in this case rebranded Hanpins. Thanks for the suggestions though!
ok well yeah then the Fluance 81 is a good choice.. or you could go for a Uturn Orbit... I use a Pro-ject Debut3 I got used for 200..
you might also find a used Technics SL 1200 in that ballpark..
the technics and fluance have the easiest headshells for cart swapping..
whereas the Uturn and Pro-ject are more aesthetically subdued..but a little bit more finicky
and unless you want to drop another 150-250ish on a good Preamp... then the Fluance or Uturn wins for having a built-in option..
with a decent pair of bookshelfs that aren't just bass-boomers.. dialogue will come through just fine unless the movie or tv show is just recorded like crap
Yeah, I've actually been leaning more towards the U-turn in the week since; it has a lot going for it.
That's what I was hoping to hear! Thank you for all the help. Time to learn how to wire speakers...
Are speakers designed for music much different to those designed for home theatre use?
We've somehow ended up with a probably 20 year old Sony hifi system that belonged to my in-laws that would have been really expensive at the time. I don't see a drastic need to have a cassette player in the house, but I have been thinking about upgrading the TV sound and wondered if using these speakers with a new entry-levelish AV receiver would be better than the 6 year old LG 'home theatre in a box' we're currently outputting everything through.
The speakers are physically pretty massive but that's not a major issue.
I guess the first step would be to set it up and see how the speakers sound plugged into the original system (given that my wife has 4 older brothers there is every chance it got turned up very loud fairly regularly) but thought I'd see if it was a silly idea first.
PSN / Xbox / NNID: Fodder185
I've spent the last week basically looking in to this question, but I'm also probably the least qualified person in this thread to answer. That said, I think there is not much difference.
Most beloved stereo speakers for music are designed as part of a set you could make a surround sound system out of, with matching centers and such. There don't seem to be many speakers that are made only for music (though there are speakers that seem intended only for tv/movies, i.e. soundbars). There seems to be a more dramatic split in receivers, i.e. stereos vs av receivers.
I think it would be worth trying; people seem to generally not recommend "home theater in a box" set ups, so there's a decent chance it would be a sound upgrade despite the age. Do you have a budget for the AV receiver in mind?
well a couple things you might want to consider about the Uturn..
it has no cue lever, so how steady are your hands for dropping the needle?
having a well adjusted cue lever is a fairly major saftey boon for both record and needle.
also the Orbit has no VTA adjustment.. and no removable headshell.. so down the line if you want to change cartridge.. the Orbit is more limited and also more of an involved process than the Fluance for changing/comparing carts