I understand that gaming headsets can't deliver audiophile level quality however they are omni-directional or surround sound whether done in hardware or software, they come coupled with a mic and will usually only cost you about 70$, for example I have my Corsair 1500s for gaming and AudioTechnica ATHm50x for listening and creating music, I thought about getting one of those mod mics but the Corsair is better for gaming as it is surround sound.
Price-performance in terms of audio quality is the main gripe. Most of the time, for that $70 you get $20 worth of sound quality. Also, the whole Surround Sound thing is more or less a gimmick to my understanding (Tek did a video not too long ago talking about this as well iirc). You could likely achieve something similar with much better sound quality using your AudioTechnica's and some software. Add a cheap clip on mic, or a desktop mic and you've got the best of both worlds and saved yourself 70 bucks.
But, if you prefer an all in one package, then feel free to go the headset route. Your money, your choice.
Well, is there a way to get my ATHm50 to simulate surround sound like my Corsair, because that surround sound really gives you an immersive experience, ie. Guy attacking you from your right, sounds like hes to your right
I can't speak for the equipment you have but my gaming headset, a razer set, isn't just leagues behind the sound quality of my akg's, but light years behind. The second biggest factor to me is comfort, probably because I wear glasses. I haven't found a gaming headset that got this right yet, especially for long durations.
I have no experience with it (I've never had much trouble judging direction and distance with standard stereo) so ymmv, but Razer has this: https://www.razerzone.com/surround
Power your m50 correctly and turn on your surround sound on your built in soundcard. Most mb come with 5.1 surround or better. While windows does some cruel stuff to sound it should actually function.
most modern sound drivers can simulate 5.1 and/or 7.1, there's nothing special in the headphones that makes them surround
unless they use multiple drivers, which is just plain retarded
Gaming headsets seem to be too bass heavy for my tastes. I like to hear everything without it sounding like Space Shuttle Atlantis is coming through my front door.
Other than that, a lot of surround sound headsets are 'virtual' surround rather than 'true' surround. Like the link WhiskeyRanger posted, 'virtual' surround sound is just programming, meaning any stereo headphone could do it.
The surround sound thing is a gimmick and you can get the exact same effect from software on your computer (i.e. soundblaster software.)
Razer surround actually works pretty well. I got it for free since I downloaded it before the deadline, and the positional accuracy with a pair of good stereo headphones is pretty amazing. It still has a few bugs but the actual surround sound is really good. The established virtual surround solutions from Dolby and DTS also work pretty well. I have to disagree on the video where they said that simply using the headphone mode is good enough for most FPS games though. That totally depends on how the developer implemented it. I'd rather set the game to 5.1 (since all games do this pretty well) and simulate those channels on my stereo headphones.
also, a lot of gaming headsets use usb, which limits it to just a pc, and you can only use the bult in DAC. plus, if you get a nice set of headphones, you can use them for more than just gaming. in the car, walking, with phone/mp3 player, etc.
in the car
(As long as the driver isn't wearing them!)
I use a cheap 20 headset it works and thats all I want. But in terms of spending $70 on a headset is pretty dumb, the reasons being that you can get mics that have better sound recording for about the same price and getting decent speakers give you better sound quality. yet if your using them for consoles by usb then there okay.
i wish more people drove with headphones around here <.< can't stand extreme bass rap that breaks welds on the car as it drives by. like... how can you enjoy music like that?
OP, I'm getting tired of you dumping most of your threads in one sub-forum and letting the "grown-ups" having to move it to a proper place. Please place them where you and all of us think should be.
It's still free, until June anyway : )
Really? I thought you could only get it for free until January. I'm not really using it though, since I have to unplug my headphones every time I want to switch back to normal stereo. Really annoying, if they iron out most of those bugs it would be a pretty solid piece of software IMO.
I also own a pair of Corsair Vengeance 1500s (the old version). I loved them until I got my DT 880s. The 1500s always made my ears sore after about 45 minutes of use, even after breaking them in. Corsair's original headset, the HS1, was way more comfortable and sturdier (minus the cable) in my opinion. Another thing that annoyed me about the 1500s is that the braided cable started to coil up uncontrollably after about a year+ of using them. The HS1s did this too, but in a shorter time span and eventually shorted out where the in-line volume control was. I've pretty much retired the 1500s now, and use the DT 880s for everything, and that cheap "beam forming" microphone that came with my Creative Soundblaster Z sound card. Unfortunately, I dropped the cash on that damn sound card and have regretted it ever since. Oh well.
I will say this about gaming headsets...some of them look really cool. Razer's "Kraken Forged" headphones are pretty sick as far as the design goes. But they have atrocious audio for $300. They are insanely over-priced like Beats.
There are a few headsets out there that offer a decent value with the coupled mic. If you can pick up the Steel Series Siberia V2s at $70-80, then they're a great buy. But for the most part, you're usually overpaying for what you get.
They probably just extended it. I'd wager that come June, it'll be extended again until November or something.
Being a DJ, durability is one. buddy of mine had some Turtle beach. They cost him like $140. He swore he cpuld hear footsteps better in COD. I then told him to plug in my 6year old AKG's (K240's)
. He was amazed. He kept saying "yeah but I can't afford those really high end headphones." and would not beleive me when I showed him they were at least $40 less.