Soundcard/ Headset Suggestions

[DaftBehemoth]

My pick would be the A40 audio system. 250 dollars buys you one of the most versatile, flexible and customizable headphone systems for the money.

 

The mixamp still makes a fool of most other DAC/Amp/Mixer combos unless you buy a very pricey one and it allows you to stream both the Dolby 5.1 and the chat over one cable, no more jerry rigging a solution to stream skype, vent or other chat programs and the virtual Dolby 5.1 with the Mixamp is very convincing without losing the overall fidelity you have to do with a muti speaker 5.1 headphone and you can flip the Dolby Processing off with 1 button for when its music listening time and the Mixamp works with ANY headphone that uses a 3.5mm jack and if you pick up a PC headset to 4-pole adaptor it will work with any pc headset

 

The A40's have a fully detachable cable system that uses a standard 3.5mm 4-pole design, mic ports on both ear cups, open back design, customizability with the speaker tags and it isn't lacking for sound quality either.

 

Is the A40's sound PC360/PC363D good? Most likely not, but is PC360/363D worth the extra 50 to 100 dollars for a little bit of extra sound quality at the expense of versatility, and flexibility? Thats up for you to decide but for me its not. Besides if you were looking for sound quality first a headset is never the way to go anyway.

 

 I play the Battlefield's, Far Cry's and TF2's on my PC like most others around here do, but I also play with a group that plays more on consoles because most of them can't afford PC's that can play core games well or the games we play together are games only on Nintendo's system. So the extra bit of sound quality at the expense of not being able to use the PC360/363D's on the Wii-U and Xbox 360 easily is a deal breaker for me, sure I could just plug the 360/363D's into the headphone jack on my TV but that doesn't do the 360/363D's justice.

I think the A40's are an excellent choice for any console gamer and anyone who is using on-board sound on a PC, much like my Razer Megalodons (on the PC at least). I think the difference between the Megalodons and the A40's wasn't going to be big enough to warrant the upgrade. And yes, I do believe an increase in sound quality can justify an extra $100 (but hey, I'm the guy who just spent $380 on a soundcard/ headset. I might not be right in the head.). That said, I do agree that I shouldn't be looking for a headset if my main concern is sound quality, however, I was specifically looking for the absolute best headset I could buy. I'll find out if I'm right on Wednesday. :D

 

If you can, you might want to go for the 363D's. Linus checked them out yesterday--they look pretty good awesome.

The 363D's are the same thing as the PC 360's but with the addition of that USB cable (that I wouldn't use) and the option for virtual 5.1/ 7.1 (which I probably wouldn't use). I decided to stick with the PC 360's and save $110 since the features they added to the PC 363D aren't useful to me. Though it's much less important, I also think the PC 360's look nicer. I prefer the metal mesh over the vented grey plastic. :)

[Rollergold]

The Mixamp that Astro uses wouldn't work properly with onboard sound on most motherboards. It needs Dolby Digital Live support to work properly and most mobo's don't have that with their onboard sound.

[DaftBehemoth]

The Mixamp that Astro uses wouldn't work properly with onboard sound on most motherboards. It needs Dolby Digital Live support to work properly and most mobo's don't have that with their onboard sound.

For all I know, that may be the case. I didn't look too far into the A40's since they aren't really for me. 

[OddballMV]

They don't have a built in soundcard, they have an optional USB soundcard in addition to the headphones themselves. I would also suggest the 363Ds... after seeing Linus' unboxing yesterday, I checked out some reviews online and they seem to be among the best gaming oriented headsets out there not only with the optional use of virtual surround sound, but also audio fidelity with standard two channel. They're also, you know, Sennheiser. 

 

From what i read, the PC363D are just the old PC360 with that USB soundcard which would bypass the Asus Xonar card. No change in sound.

[T3hDud3]

 

The 363D's are the same thing as the PC 360's but with the addition of that USB cable (that I wouldn't use) and the option for virtual 5.1/ 7.1 (which I probably wouldn't use). I decided to stick with the PC 360's and save $110 since the features they added to the PC 363D aren't useful to me. Though it's much less important, I also think the PC 360's look nicer. I prefer the metal mesh over the vented grey plastic. :)

 

From what i read, the PC363D are just the old PC360 with that USB soundcard which would bypass the Asus Xonar card. No change in sound.

Thanks for correcting my stupid mistake  :P Just wondering, do you recommend the 360's? They look pretty gnarly.

[Rhizo]

Ok, I really can't be bothered to type out an essay for the 500th time. Oh well.

 

If you need directional sound, get the k702/k701/q701 by akg. The positional accuracy on those is out of this world.

If you need a headset, get headphones and a mic. It will be much better for every use.

 

Don't even think of buying the xonar stx or essence one. The essence one is for high end headphones, the stx is for mid range headphones. High end being From about 5-600$+. The stx will also be a bad choice for anyone using headphones/headsets under 80 ohms due to the output impedence being so high. If you want a soundcard just get the dg/dgx xonar, and if you must get headphones, look for some on offer as they will all give you a similar experiance of mediocre sound and mic that will never be much good.

 

If you want to really experiance your games to the fulll, along with decent positional accuracy, try the dt990's. they have a slight emphasis towards bass bringing out the explosions to life more than the akg's, but due to the open design they have a really wide soundstage.

 

The sennheiser range of headsets is basically their low end headphone range with a mic stuck on and with extra $ added onto the pricetag.

 

Sorry if there are any mistakes, i'm sure someone will find something :)

[DaftBehemoth]

Ok, I really can't be bothered to type out an essay for the 500th time. Oh well.

 

If you need directional sound, get the k702/k701/q701 by akg. The positional accuracy on those is out of this world.

If you need a headset, get headphones and a mic. It will be much better for every use.

 

Don't even think of buying the xonar stx or essence one. The essence one is for high end headphones, the stx is for mid range headphones. High end being From about 5-600$+. The stx will also be a bad choice for anyone using headphones/headsets under 80 ohms due to the output impedence being so high. If you want a soundcard just get the dg/dgx xonar, and if you must get headphones, look for some on offer as they will all give you a similar experiance of mediocre sound and mic that will never be much good.

 

If you want to really experiance your games to the fulll, along with decent positional accuracy, try the dt990's. they have a slight emphasis towards bass bringing out the explosions to life more than the akg's, but due to the open design they have a really wide soundstage.

 

The sennheiser range of headsets is basically their low end headphone range with a mic stuck on and with extra $ added onto the pricetag.

 

Sorry if there are any mistakes, i'm sure someone will find something :)

I do realize the STX may be a tad overkill for the PC360's but I'm also wanting it to better power my Klipsch Promedia 2.1's. Not only that, but I want it to run whatever speakers I may upgrade to and any headset I might get in the future. I prefer to buy things that give me room to grow :).

 

Unfortunately I can't take your recommendations on the AKG's or the DT990's as my PC 360's should be delivered in the next couple hours. If, by some chance, I'm dissatisfied with the PC360's I'll be sure to give the DT990's a chance. Thanks for the info! I'll make sure to directly compare the X-Fi Fatal1ty Platinum with the new STX to make sure that it's a worthy upgrade too.

[DaftBehemoth]

Thanks for correcting my stupid mistake  :P Just wondering, do you recommend the 360's? They look pretty gnarly.

I'll be getting them later today and I'll be sure to let you know exactly what I think of them in this thread :)

[Rhizo]

The stx is not overkill, it's a straight up waste of money for those speakers and any headset or low end headphone.

[DaftBehemoth]

Thanks for correcting my stupid mistake  :P Just wondering, do you recommend the 360's? They look pretty gnarly.

After having some time to play with them I can definitely recommend them. They're definitely of a no-frills but sleek design, and possibly a little too plastic-y. I do, however, outright require my headsets to be as light as possible so I find the plastic design to be a pro (just be gentle with them). The huge, velour pads are very comfortable and are more than big enough to not touch my ears at all. The the sound quality on the mic is outstanding and definitely beats the Megalodons (and the mic on those was great). As for the sound itself, I don't think you could ask any more of a gaming headset. I don't doubt that there are better ones out there, but the crisp highs and punchy bass is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Everything about them sounds clean and the only distortion I can hear is at extreme volumes (to the point where it's just way too loud to listen to). "Razor Sharp" by Tristam and Pegboard Nerds sounds incredible at any volume :). There's so much more power in these than in the Megalodons that it's a little ridiculous. I will no longer be able to think "man I wish I could turn this up"

 

The STX is also one hell of a card. The power and clarity coming from it puts it way ahead of the Fatal1ty Platinum Champion which was $150 new... I feel like money was wasted on that card, not this STX at $185 even for the PC360's. Not only has the PC360's sounded great with the STX, but the Promedia 2.1's are on a whole other level now. Particularly on the low-end. There's more depth coming out of the sub then I ever expected from it. I can no longer turn up my speakers loud enough to hear any distortion (it'd be VERY rude to the apartments adjacent to mine :P). All in all I'm quite happy with my purchase. The Xonar Essence STX will last me a very long time, and the PC360's will suit me well for music, games, and movies for quite a while.

 

And hey, here's a picture just for fun!

[Raincity007]

Thanks for the follow up. I am considering the very same setup.

[Hyydrah]

I'm in the market for a new sound card as well as a new headset to go along with it. I have a pretty good idea of what I want, but I thought I should see if anyone has any input on the matter. I'm currently using a Creative  X-Fi Fatal1ty Platinum Champion edition sound card and while it was a huge step up from my crappy $30 Creative card, I'm not impressed by the drivers and software for it. I'm also under the impression that Creative cards really aren't that great overall.  I got that sound card to power my Klipsch Promedia 2.1 speakers, but I'm actually using a USB headset at the moment. Specifically, I'm using the Razer Megalodons. While the virtual 7.1 on them actually does a fairly good job for what it is, I'm far more impressed by its 2.0 mode. They have a really nice lightweight, open design with very crisp and accurate sound (easily better sound than my Streets by 50 and the Beats headphones I've had... I don't know why I keep wasting my money on overpriced rapper headphones). All that said, I'd really love a 2.0 headset with an accurate, flat response with a lightweight, open design. 

 

From what I can tell, my best options would be the Sennheiser PC 360's with an Asus Xonar Essence STX. I'd be tempted to try the Razer Tiamats considering how well my Megalodons have treated me (plus I've tried them on and they're actually comfortable as hell), but I'm pretty sure that the multi-driver design of the Tiamats would lend itself much more for gaming with positional sound rather than games AND music. 

 

So what are your guys' thoughts? Any suggestions would be very helpful :)

Don't limit yourself to a sound card. One flagship sound card, the Essence STX, is outperformed by an external DAC/Amplifier, the Essence One.

[DaftBehemoth]

Don't limit yourself to a sound card. One flagship sound card, the Essence STX, is outperformed by an external DAC/Amplifier, the Essence One.

I don't doubt that. The Essence One was just $400-$600 over my budget. 

[Hyydrah]

I don't doubt that. The Essence One was just $400-$600 over my budget. 

Not a problem, an Essence STX ($200 CAD) will still sound extraordinary.

[T3hDud3]

After having some time to play with them I can definitely recommend them. They're definitely of a no-frills but sleek design, and possibly a little too plastic-y. I do, however, outright require my headsets to be as light as possible so I find the plastic design to be a pro (just be gentle with them). The huge, velour pads are very comfortable and are more than big enough to not touch my ears at all. The the sound quality on the mic is outstanding and definitely beats the Megalodons (and the mic on those was great). As for the sound itself, I don't think you could ask any more of a gaming headset. I don't doubt that there are better ones out there, but the crisp highs and punchy bass is pretty much exactly what I was looking for. Everything about them sounds clean and the only distortion I can hear is at extreme volumes (to the point where it's just way too loud to listen to). "Razor Sharp" by Tristam and Pegboard Nerds sounds incredible at any volume :). There's so much more power in these than in the Megalodons that it's a little ridiculous. I will no longer be able to think "man I wish I could turn this up"

 

The STX is also one hell of a card. The power and clarity coming from it puts it way ahead of the Fatal1ty Platinum Champion which was $150 new... I feel like money was wasted on that card, not this STX at $185 even for the PC360's. Not only has the PC360's sounded great with the STX, but the Promedia 2.1's are on a whole other level now. Particularly on the low-end. There's more depth coming out of the sub then I ever expected from it. I can no longer turn up my speakers loud enough to hear any distortion (it'd be VERY rude to the apartments adjacent to mine :P). All in all I'm quite happy with my purchase. The Xonar Essence STX will last me a very long time, and the PC360's will suit me well for music, games, and movies for quite a while.

 

And hey, here's a picture just for fun!

Sorry, have to call out the orange SLI bridge  :P excuse my OCD. The 360's look good! Going to get some as soon as I can  :). I'm afraid the STX's are a bit out of my price range,ordered a DX today. Any thoughts on those?

[DaftBehemoth]

Sorry, have to call out the orange SLI bridge  :P excuse my OCD. The 360's look good! Going to get some as soon as I can  :). I'm afraid the STX's are a bit out of my price range,ordered a DX today. Any thoughts on those?

Dude, don't even get me started on that SLI bridge lol. I hate that thing. I'm about to spend $20 on a replacement for something so stupid T_T.

 

While I haven't used it personally, I have heard very good things about the DX and from what I can tell, you can't go wrong with Asus's Xonar series. I actually just recommended it to a couple friends who are in need of a sound card (and not quite as crazy as me :P)

[ShearMe]

Just so you're aware, the improvement in sound coming out of your Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers is only due to the improved DAC on the soundcard - the amplification stage is completely wasted on them. You could have easily bought a cheaper and/or better DAC, plugged your speakers into that, and then plugged the 360s into the headphone port on the satellite speaker.  ^_^

[DaftBehemoth]

Just so you're aware, the improvement in sound coming out of your Klipsch ProMedia 2.1 speakers is only due to the improved DAC on the soundcard - the amplification stage is completely wasted on them. You could have easily bought a cheaper and/or better DAC, plugged your speakers into that, and then plugged the 360s into the headphone port on the satellite speaker.  ^_^

Wasted on the speakers, but not on the headset or on any pair of headphones I buy in the future. I'd rather do it right the first time. The last thing I need is yet another external something around my desk (plus I'd have to run an extension cable for the mic which would have bothered me...). The STX does even more than I wanted it to and gives me loads of options. I'll be sticking with it even if I could have saved a few bucks with something else. Thanks for the info though :)

[Hyydrah]

Wasted on the speakers, but not on the headset or on any pair of headphones I buy in the future. I'd rather do it right the first time. The last thing I need is yet another external something around my desk (plus I'd have to run an extension cable for the mic which would have bothered me...). The STX does even more than I wanted it to and gives me loads of options. I'll be sticking with it even if I could have saved a few bucks with something else. Thanks for the info though :)

Doing it right the first time would mean purchasing an external DAC to me, and completely avoiding sound cards. I don't know about you, but for me sound quality is priority.

[DaftBehemoth]

Doing it right the first time would mean purchasing an external DAC to me, and completely avoiding sound cards. I don't know about you, but for me sound quality is priority.

I think pretty much everything I can say about my priorities with this purchase is already in this thread.

[BenD]

i just orderd the 363d's , just because they look good and can't go wrong with sennheiser, probarly gonna skip the usb soundcard, gonna plug the in my logitch z5500's controller ,  since it has optical sound feed i'm pretty sure i'm not going to buy a sound card soon..  i'll just let you guys know how it is

[deathwatch]

Really interesting thread guys. Thanks for all the info i am gunna go down this path in the next couple of months too so i feel a lot more confident.