Author Topic: Headset problems  (Read 14036 times)

Spectere

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #15 on: December 01, 2010, 12:25:30 AM »
Also, with those skullcandy headphones, do they have a mic? I'm looking for something with a microphone on it as well and those didn't look like they had one.

They have a small gaming line that does include a microphone: http://www.skullcandy.com/shop/all-products/headphones.html?limit=all&cat=11

Also, I'm looking for a good surround sound headset, the current one I have is a 7.1 surround sound headset, so I should look for something 7.1 surround. I was actually thinking on getting the Psyko headset, seems pretty awesome, but at the same time, I don't wanna buy them and end up being disappointed with them.

I don't believe they make any of those, so you'll probably have to look for something different.

I don't know of any good surround sound ones, unfortunately.

Oh, also, if I were to get a new good set of headphones, what soundcard should I get? Because I normally used the soundblaster XFI Xtreme audio, not sure if I should bother with any other one or not.

Confusingly enough, the XtremeAudio isn't a true X-Fi (go go Creative Labs naming conventions!).  It's a cheap card bundled with fancy software and doesn't contain the signal processor (EMU20K) that gives the other X-Fi cards the ability to use special effects for supported games and 3D sound.

I use the X-Fi Titanium Fatal1ty Professional (say that three times fast), which supports hardware audio buffers and all of that fancy crap.  I haven't really had any major issues with it, aside from the "What U Hear" option (Creative's name for the recording device that lets you record audio that's currently playing to an external program) being mysteriously gone on my last Windows 7 install (it's stayed in the list since I upgraded to the Core i7 system, so hopefully it'll continue to stay there!).  I believe it supports 7.1, and has digital input and output ports.  Very clean audio, too; there's very little noise when nothing is playing.
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Bobbias

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #16 on: December 01, 2010, 03:32:41 AM »
Quote from: NewF
Headset
Surround

I don't think your gonna get anything that even comes close to being as good as actually having surround in a headset unless you want to shell out some good money for it...

And you know, you could get good headphones, and a clip-on mic, and that would likely work just as well as a headset. I've got some cheap-ass clip-on mic (which I've had to jery-rig since the clip thing is broken, but that's neither here nor there), and it actually works quite well (clear sound, don't have to yell, etc.)
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Spectere

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #17 on: December 01, 2010, 04:26:37 AM »
I don't think your gonna get anything that even comes close to being as good as actually having surround in a headset unless you want to shell out some good money for it...

Weight and comfort might be a factor, too.  I don't know, though, I haven't used any surround sound headsets.

And you know, you could get good headphones, and a clip-on mic, and that would likely work just as well as a headset. I've got some cheap-ass clip-on mic (which I've had to jery-rig since the clip thing is broken, but that's neither here nor there), and it actually works quite well (clear sound, don't have to yell, etc.)

I wouldn't go with a clip-on mic simply because the cheaper ones tend to pick up a lot of background noise.  I've raided enough to have heard just about every type of mic there is, and the only thing that I've heard pick up more noise are desktop mics.  Those of us who used boom mics (which, thankfully, was most of us) were the only ones who could be reliably heard.

Of course, your mileage may vary.  You might have gotten an exceptional deal for the money and got one that didn't blow chunks.  The ones that I heard were pretty bad, though.
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Bobbias

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2010, 04:37:30 AM »
Well it was certainly a lot better than the mic build into my laptop, lol. But yeah, my brother used to use that mic for talking with is friends over webcam chat all the time, and it worked really well. He usually just clipped it to something like a glass, or any stationary object on the desk, and talked normally, and it worked perfectly. I don't know anything about where we got the mic or anything though. I just think some people take things too seriously with the whole headset thing. There are lots of other ways you can set things up that work just as well.

And like I said, I could be wrong, but I have a feeling that most "surround" headsets are gonna be using that stupid dolby chip in a regular old stereo configuration unless you actually spend a decent amount of money.
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NewF

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2010, 07:06:27 AM »
I'm not concerned about the price. The Tritton I bought was around $140, and the psyko is around 200. I've heard alot of good things about the psyko, and it just looks insanely insane, but at the same time, maybe it was the soundcard in general that made it sound like shit. Perhaps I should get a new soundcard.

Bobbias

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #20 on: December 01, 2010, 09:24:05 AM »
Can't help you too much on that front myself. Anything I look into for soundcards is gonna be geared towards multitrack recording... (read, inputs sound amazing, very great Signal to Noise ratio, but not designed for gaming, and no surround unless you REALLY pay out your nose).

And if your really willing to pay that sort of money, I'd almost suggest going for headphones and a mic, unless your deadset on getting a headset. (You could get some fucking awesome Grados and a VERY good mic for less than $200)
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NewF

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #21 on: December 01, 2010, 09:42:03 AM »
I'm kinda deadset on getting a headset. Been using them since day 1, and I've always favored them. perhaps I'll try the psyko and get a better soundcard.

Spectere

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #22 on: December 01, 2010, 11:12:53 AM »
Well it was certainly a lot better than the mic build into my laptop, lol. But yeah, my brother used to use that mic for talking with is friends over webcam chat all the time, and it worked really well. He usually just clipped it to something like a glass, or any stationary object on the desk, and talked normally, and it worked perfectly. I don't know anything about where we got the mic or anything though. I just think some people take things too seriously with the whole headset thing. There are lots of other ways you can set things up that work just as well.

Most solutions work great with one-on-one conversions with little noise in the background.  The part that's tricky is when you have 5-10 people talking with game sounds playing.  Or, even worse, when people have their Vent/TS audio going through their speakers and they use a sensitive mic.  Nothing is more distracting than hearing myself two and three times, especially when I'm trying to bark shit out during a raid.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the only people who could be clearly understood without fail are the people who had some sort of headset.  The mics just aren't as sensitive on those so you don't have to worry about hearing the dog down the street barking when they hit the push to talk button.

And it definitely beats getting a unidirectional mic, putting it on a boom stand, and keeping it in front of your face while you play. :)

I'm kinda deadset on getting a headset. Been using them since day 1, and I've always favored them. perhaps I'll try the psyko and get a better soundcard.

Oh, another thing: if you're using front inputs for anything, don't.  There's infinitely more noise and static on them just because they generally use unshielded wires going all along the inside of your computer.  I have my front inputs going into my X-Fi and it picks up an incredible amount of noise when the front panel mic input is enabled (the rear line in that I use for my Xbox 360 delivers the tiniest hiss when it's on; the front panel input delivers crackly audio that's even noticeable at low volumes and changes depending on how much load I'm putting on my hardware...fun fun!).
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Bobbias

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #23 on: December 01, 2010, 12:17:55 PM »
Most solutions work great with one-on-one conversions with little noise in the background.  The part that's tricky is when you have 5-10 people talking with game sounds playing.  Or, even worse, when people have their Vent/TS audio going through their speakers and they use a sensitive mic.  Nothing is more distracting than hearing myself two and three times, especially when I'm trying to bark shit out during a raid.

I'm not exaggerating when I say that the only people who could be clearly understood without fail are the people who had some sort of headset.  The mics just aren't as sensitive on those so you don't have to worry about hearing the dog down the street barking when they hit the push to talk button.

And it definitely beats getting a unidirectional mic, putting it on a boom stand, and keeping it in front of your face while you play. :)

EDIT: I missed his post about being serious about a headset, but my point remains that I think this would be a MUCH better setup in terms of quality for what you'd be paying.

I was referring to using headphones (and damned good ones at that) and a very nice mic. For under $200 you could get something like this Cardioid Mic (you'd need an XLR to 3.5mm cable) and a very nice pair of headphones (and you could use them as regular headphones, since you wouldn't be lugging a whole headset around to listen to music.)

Yeah, something like that IS a pain to set up, but probably 95%+ of "computer" mics are omnidirectional (likely including headset ones). Cardioid mics have high sensativity in the front, and quite low sensitivity in other directions. They're great for avoiding picking up unwanted sounds, and a mic like the one I linked would probably sound 1000% clearer than just about any mic made for a computer. Combine that with a good set of headphones, and a bit of jery-rigging to get it set up somewhere unobtrusive, and you have a VERY high quality setup that likely sounds better (both in the headphones, and to whoever is listening to you) than a headset.

It's probably too much of a pain for NewF, but if he's willing to put a bit of work into it, I'd bet you any money he anyone he plays with would get MUCH clearer sound from him than if he was using a headset (even a good quality one) and he'd be able to enjoy some great headphones as well.

The mic and cord would cost about $46.04 before shipping, which leaves $153.96 for finding a good pair of headphones. Grado SR-80i headphones (the same ones I have) cost $99 plus shipping, etc. So even with shipping and tax, you might have some money left over.

Of course, I wouldn't blame someone for choosing a different headphone than the Grados for gaming, simply because of the comfort issues. Grados need to be broken in, and even then aren't amazingly comfortable over long periods of time. But basically anything in the $100 range for quality headphones (Sennheiser, AKG, Audio-Technica etc.) would likely sound better than a headset.
« Last Edit: December 01, 2010, 12:22:44 PM by Bobbias »
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Spectere

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #24 on: December 01, 2010, 12:57:32 PM »
Yeah, something like that IS a pain to set up, but probably 95%+ of "computer" mics are omnidirectional (likely including headset ones). Cardioid mics have high sensativity in the front, and quite low sensitivity in other directions. They're great for avoiding picking up unwanted sounds, and a mic like the one I linked would probably sound 1000% clearer than just about any mic made for a computer. Combine that with a good set of headphones, and a bit of jery-rigging to get it set up somewhere unobtrusive, and you have a VERY high quality setup that likely sounds better (both in the headphones, and to whoever is listening to you) than a headset.

I really don't think anyone's going to hear much of a difference.  By the time compression gets a hold of the audio, my Xbox microphone (which sounds considerably better when it's not being used for Xbox Live, hilariously enough -- I use mine for Skype and Vent and it's clearer than a phone call) sounds no better than the higher quality ones that I have.  Most of the small amounts of background noise (hiss, primarily) get compressed away.

If you were doing any sort of recording, like making Let's Plays and such, I could definitely see the appeal of going with a more permanent setup, but for straight-out gaming a boom mic is going to be far more convenient and really won't sound much different in the long run.

Of course, I wouldn't blame someone for choosing a different headphone than the Grados for gaming, simply because of the comfort issues.

That's most of the reason my dad and I prefer our Skullcandy headphones over...well, every other one we've ever used.  Comfort.

When I was an apartment dweller I used my Skullcrushers a ton because that was the only chance I had to listen to loud music, and they are still the only set of headphones that I've been able to wear for an entire day without feeling much discomfort without any sort of break in time.  They aren't noise canceling earphones, but the earmuffs do a good job of keeping outside noises out.

As for their supposed fragility, mine have seen thousands of miles of travel, have been stuffed into the small travel bag (they're collapsable, which is probably their nicest feature) that they come with countless times, and have been used quite a bit in the last two years and they're still kicking ass.

To each his own, but they do generally sound nice and even the larger sets are still very portable and comfortable.  Portability and comfort were my two biggest factors, and they definitely deliver.  I do keep a couple of sets of buds (I have a set of nice, yet reasonably priced, Senns and the "eh, they're okay" set of Apple earbuds that came with my iPod) handy if I want something a bit less bulky and noticeable, though.
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NewF

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #25 on: December 01, 2010, 01:27:01 PM »
Yeah, when I install my xfi soundcard, I disable on-board sound, so I only use my xfi soundcard, nothing else.

Bobbias

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Re: Headset problems
« Reply #26 on: December 01, 2010, 01:51:12 PM »
Well, to be honest I wear my Grados a LOT (like from 11 PM onward, and very often throughout the day too) and I dont really mind them. They were kinda pre-broken in since they were a floor model (which I'm actually going to be sending back for warranty sometime soon, because of the damages sustained before I got them), but I honestly don't see why people bitch about the Grados being so uncomefortable... Maybe the fact that they sound godlike compared to every other headphone I've owned offsets that a bit.
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